Arsenal 2: Fulham 1 Analysis

Analysis is bulletized below--first an observation:

Every American soccer fan has had this experience: you're alone watching the television, and in a moment of high drama, your team scores a crucial goal.

In the ritual, communal experience of being a sports spectator, we're used to leaping, screaming, and generally losing control in with a crowd of fellow fans. But, there are no teeming fans, so you go absolutely crazy, all by yourself, in the basement, surrounded only by laundry.

Usually, this sort of behavior is reserved for USMNT games, but those of us who have a favorite EPL team know the beauty and ridiculousness of this behavior when you have to set an alarm clock to watch the game.

I got up at 7:00AM this morning to watch Arsenal's season opener against Fulham. While I always root for the "America East" Cottagers when they aren't playing the Gunners, I absolutely lost control when Arsenal came back with two late goals to clinch 3 points that seemed so utterly out of reach at the 80th minute.

A few thoughts:

• It was fantastic to see Brian McBride wearing the captain's armband for Fulham. Even while I was watching him in the stands at Crew games, I always thought he deserved a real run at it in Europe, given all he had sacrificed and all the blood he'd spilled for the Red, White, and Blue. It is really gratifying to see him getting the respect he deserves. For my money, one of the most influential players in the history of the USMNT.

• Jens Lehman is slowly becoming Fabien Barthez--capable of dazzling saves and mindblowing gaffes.

• For most of the game, it felt like a re-run of last year with regards to the Arsenal play. They dominated possession for long stretches, utterly controlled the pace of play, put together jaw-dropping and inventive attacking movement, then squandered chances in front of goal.
  

• Carlos Bocanegra really had no complaint on the penalty. One of the angles clearly showed him dropping a shoulder into the onrushing Kolo Toure.

• Clint Dempsey looked sharp and confident when he was on the pitch. Late on, he squirted wide a shot that could have sealed the game for Fulham.
  

• There is obviously considerable excitement about the maturing Theo Walcott, but except for a few blistering runs down the wing, he looked tentative today. With the vacuum created by Henry's absence, there is a tremendous opportunity for many of these young Gunners to step up and really make this team their own. They need to rise to the occasion.

• While Tony Warner was clearly Fulham's Man of the Match, he was considerably aided by a competent and dogged Fulham defense, who held together much of the day despite being besieged. Zat Knight deserves special praise for his physical presence, aerial control, and constant pressure on Arsenal attackers to make their many chances on goal as rushed as possible.
  

• Nicklas Bendtner was in the thick of everything after coming on. The teenager didn't get a goal today, but he might be the "fox in the box" that Francis Jeffers never proved to be.

• I hope so, because I won't be convinced that Arsenal is really in consideration for the title chase until they show that they can prove they can marry their precision to production, and play football that has more than just beauty to show for it.