This is traditionally one of the better away games of the season - for the last few years it has kicked off at a sensible time, it isn't very far away, and the timidity of Fulham's support often means that thousands of Gooners can descend on the general area to take the place over. And we usually beat them.
It was no different this year - I got to a pub that was packed with Arsenal fans for the lunchtime Chelsea game. A nice walk through the park to the ground later, and we were in the combined away/neutral end, which in fact was just a huge away end. This is made of meccano, and tends to bounce up and down quite easily, making for an entertaining (if slightly rickety) game.
I have moaned before about the negative tactics of teams that we face away from home - not really wanting to play, and just concentrating on stifling Arsenal rather than doing their own thing. Fulham can't be accused of this - they tried to play a football match against us, and we completely took them apart as a result. Thierry Henry in particular was magnificent, but many others weren't far behind.
This game made me wonder - why does anybody give us any space on the ball at all, when they know how deadly we can be with it? Of course I'm not complaining at all, but you'd think Chris Coleman might have learnt something from our last 2 games. Madrid, who let us play football and got battered; and Blackburn, who closed us down and won the game. Still, never mind, eh!!
A good 4-0 win to take into the Madrid home leg - we know we are in for the same kind of game then, but also that Madrid will not play half as badly as Fulham did today. Still, a good confidence booster, and more encouraging signs that we are still a team with the ability to play anybody that's put in front of us off the park. There are still very few teams in the world that can play a better football match than Arsenal.
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