Lee Judges: “Our Back Four Are Awesome” But Attack Was “Non-Existent” in Fulham Win
Lee Judges joins Cecil to break down the gritty 1-0 win over Fulham, praising the “awesome” defence for grinding out the result but raising serious concerns about the poor performances from Eze and Victor Gyokeres.
(0:39 – 1:30) A Massive Positive: Winning 1-0 Despite Playing Poorly
-
Lee admits he was hoping for Arsenal to “blow them away” after the international break but says the team was “very, very poor” in the first half.
-
However, he sees it as a “massive positive” that Arsenal still won the game despite having six or seven players performing below par.
-
He notes that if it weren’t for a few great saves from ex-Gunner Bernd Leno, the scoreline could have easily been 2-0 or 3-0.
-
Ultimately, it’s a classic case of playing badly but still grinding out a win, picking up two more points at Craven Cottage than last season.
(1:31 – 2:26) “Trust The Back Four”: Defence Looks Rock Solid
-
Lee was never worried about conceding, even with nine minutes of added time. He states, “if you’re going to trust Arsenal to do really really well, trust the back four.”
-
The defensive side of Arsenal’s game is described as “fantastic,” with the team shape and individual performances being rock solid.
-
The back four of Timber, Gabriel, Saliba, and Calafiori were all singled out for praise, with Lee calling them “awesome” and “brilliant.”
-
This defensive strength allows Arsenal to win games through set pieces or a single moment of magic, even when the attack isn’t firing.
(3:01 – 4:05) A Worrying Start For Eze In The Number 10 Role
-
Despite the excitement to see him start, Lee judged Eze’s performance as “poor” and “non-existent” in the number 10 role.
-
He argues that if Martin Odegaard had put in a similar performance, social media would be in “meltdown.”
-
While Eze gets a bit of “grace” for being new to the team, Lee feels he simply didn’t perform when given the opportunity.
-
It highlights a wider issue where Arsenal are “not getting the best out of our attacking play at this moment in time.”
(4:21 – 6:43) “Not Good Enough”: Gyokeres Struggling With Confidence & Hold-Up Play
-
Lee believes Victor Gyokeres’ hold-up play was “not good enough,” causing attacking moves to break down frequently.
-
He contrasts this with Kai Havertz, noting that when the ball goes into Havertz, “it stays,” giving midfielders the confidence to make forward runs.
-
The core issue for Gyokeres is identified as a lack of confidence. Lee suggests a more confident striker would have scored the chance he blasted over the bar.
-
While there can’t be constant excuses, the verdict is clear: “He is here to score goals against these teams,” and he needs one soon to turn his form around.