Fulham 2 Arsenal 1: Arsene Wenger said Arsenal's season had reached "the moment of truth" and the truth was brutally exposed last night, a deserved defeat confirming they are not good enough to win the title.
The poverty of Arsenal's passing and defending were as significant as Fulham's greater vibrancy and spirit, and Wenger made a mistake in underestimating his opponents and leaving out several players.
This was Arsenal's third straight defeat on their Premiership travels and it raises serious questions about whether they will get the point they need in Porto to guarantee progress in Europe. A bigger win would not have flattered Fulham, who had been tearing Arsenal apart long before Philippe Senderos's 63rd-minute red card.
Nothing short of victory had been considered acceptable by Wenger, who knew this was the beginning of a period that will shape Arsenal's campaign. Yet with games against Tottenham, Porto and Chelsea coming up he took the gamble of resting players. Both full backs, Emmanuel Eboue and Gael Clichy, were left out of the squad, as was Freddie Ljungberg, and Cesc Fabregas dropped to the bench. The Spaniard's passing was among the features sorely missed by Arsenal during a chastening first half that Fulham dominated.
Wenger must have regretted making wholesale changes as his team fell two goals behind inside 20 minutes. The scoreline looked all the more unthinkable given that Arsenal had won six consecutive games at Fulham but the hosts deserved such a lead, and could have scored four more times before the interval.
Fulham not only displayed a determination and accuracing of pass that Arsenal did not match but exploited glaring weaknesses in their opponents' line-up, which was also missing the injured William Gallas. Wenger's players were gesticulating at one another even before Fulham's second goal arrived.
Wenger's decision to leave out his full backs and play the inexperienced Alexandre Song in central midfield looked horribly ill-judged. It was down the right flank usually so ably patrolled by Eboue, but now featuring the shaky Justin Hoyte, that Fulham started the moves that led to their strikes.
Arsenal fell behind after Brian McBride won a corner with a run down Fulham's left. From Claus Jensen's set piece, McBride headed in at the near post. He beat Kolo Toure to the ball but Jens Lehmann ought to have kept it out. Plenty of spectators imagined Arsenal being roused but instead Fulham continued to dominate.
Luis Boa Morte was a constant threat down their left, Jensen was passing with greater aplomb than anyone in Arsenal's ranks, and weak defending by Wenger's team was confirmed when Fulham scored again.
Boa Morte showed fine skill to clip the ball over his head, beat Song and produce a perfect cross that Tomasz Radzinski, a regular menace with his movement, got to ahead of Mathieu Flamini to finish at the far post.
Lehmann had to save from Boa Morte to keep Arsenal in contention and Wenger's players, giving away possession with shocking regularity, had not looked like scoring until Robin van Persie sent a powerful 25-yard free-kick beyond Antti Niemi. Even then Lehmann was grateful to see a Jensen free-kick flash just wide.
Unsurprisingly, Fabregas replaced Song for the second half. Arsenal improved, with Thierry Henry having a goal ruled out for a marginal offside, but too many inaccurate passes meant chances remained few as a well-organised Fulham battled for every ball.
They also posed danger and must have felt confident of holding out when Senderos was sent off with just over 25 minutes remaining. Boa Morte got the wrong side of the defender running on to a pass by the lively Brown and Senderos tripped him to earn a second caution. Boa Morte struck the bar from the free-kick before Theo Walcott did the same at the other end.
FULHAM:Niemi, Volz, Christanval, Knight, Rosenior, Brown, Boa Morte, Radzinski (Routledge 46), Diop, Claus Jensen, McBride (Helguson 76). Subs not used: Lastuvka, John, Zakuani. Booked: Brown, Rosenior, Boa Morte, Helguson.
ARSENAL:Lehmann, Hoyte, Toure, Senderos, Flamini, Rosicky (Walcott 61), Song Billong (Fabregas 46), Silva, Hleb (Djourou 65), Henry, Van Persie. Subs not used: Almunia, Adebayor. Sent Off: Senderos (66). Booked: Song Billong, Senderos, Rosicky, Van Persie, Flamini.
Referee:H Webb (S Yorkshire).
