The way I see it - Arsenal v Fulham

Last updated : 24 December 2004 By Jason Hogan

However, I can honestly say that I will be looking forward to Christmas with a renewed belief that the lads are slowly getting back on track.

Believe me, I had nothing short of admiration for the lads and their performance against Chelsea and it was highly amusing when the Sky pundits suggested that the Phoney Russian Franchise passed "the test" at Highbury. Because, if anyone passed a test at Highbury last Sunday week, I would suggest that it was us.

Which team was supposedly under most pressure going into the game? Which team had question marks (both as individuals and as a collective unit) hanging over them going into that game? And who was the team many considered to have most to lose AND the most to prove at the same time? It certainly wasn't Chelsea.

Set pieces may have cost us all the points but I believe that we were more entitled to claim a moral victory as they were. People questioned whether we would be able to handle the pressure - we did. People questioned whether Messrs Almunia, Flamini and Fabregas would be able to do their respective jobs effectively against such "mighty" opposition - but they all did.

People questioned whether Henry would come to the party and show what he is all about - he did. And with the "smart money" all being on Chelsea to beat us people openly questioned whether we would get something from the game - but we did. And in the process we showed that they are not quite as good as people like to think they are.

Back in July when the fixtures first came out I earmarked our trip to Portsmouth as a tricky assignment straight way irrespective of whether we happened to stay unbeaten and regardless of what form we were in going into the game.

By the time we finally managed to lock horns with Portsmouth last Sunday, a lot of controversial things had happened and ultimately changed down on the South Coast but the passion of the home crowd at Fratton Park remained, unsurprisingly, very much the same.

Pound for pound, the Pompey fans are the best in the Premiership right now and they certainly generated a real cup-tie atmosphere from the word go in spite of Arsenal's overall dominance in the first half.

The second half was a different story and with 15 minutes to go we were seriously in need of some inspiration. Bang on cue, who was the man who answered to the call? One Sulzeer Campbell.

His goal was a real collector's item, wasn't it? To stride forward and smash home a 25-yarder in the manner that he did was really quite something and when the game was over I couldn't help thinking how significant Campbell's unlikely strike could be come May.

Okay, so our overall performance at Fratton Park wasn't exactly our greatest ever. But, as any Arsenal fan should know only too well, titles can be won and lost in so many ways. As the old saying goes, it's from small acorns that oak trees grow and maybe Campbell's unlikely match winning strike could be the thing that provides that little bit of extra spark we have been searching for.

And when you really think about it, we have gone some to proving our critics wrong because for the second game in a row we have done what most so-called experts said we couldn't do. We were accused of not being able to win ugly. But, last Sunday showed that we can and if you put that together with the character we showed against the Phoney Russian Franchise the week before, why should we start doubting ourselves?

Funnily enough, on Boxing Day, we will be up against a team that happens to be managed by a chap who firmly believes that our title is heading off into the hands of some other West London "club".

For my money, Chris Coleman is a chap that happens to be right out of the same charm school as Sam Allardyce - and anybody who either knows me or reads my articles will also know that I cannot stand him.

However I will freely concede that Coleman, like Allardyce, has assembled a bunch of players together down at Craven Cottage that are far more capable than their current league standing would suggest.

From the outside looking in, I think that there are mitigating circumstances as to why Fulham are underachieving slightly at the moment. They have been deprived of the services of Luis Boa Morte through injury in recent times. Now, some people may question this boy's ability but I think that he is one of a very select band of forwards in the Premiership with real heart and an appetite for a battle.

Claus Jensen has constantly been dogged by injury and, though I have said this before, I make no apologies for repeating myself when I say that he is a class act and one of the canniest midfield operators in the Premiership.

I suppose the major plus of the season so far at Fulham has been the emergence of the man they call The Wardrobe - Papa Bouba Diop.

This lad has certainly shown that he has a liking for the big occasion in particular and whilst he is not exactly Johnny Haynes it appears as though he is fast approaching legendary status down by the Thames.

The same could probably be said of Steed Malbranque. Now, he's lad that I rate. Though (like Jensen) his season has been curtailed by injury his influence on the Fulham side is massive and I think the highest compliment I could pay him would be to say that if he ever became available then every major Premiership club would be in for him without exception.

Up front, they have quite a few options. Andy Cole needs no introduction and given his record against the Arsenal, Tomas Radzinski doesn't either. Collins John showed what a handful he can be back in September in that infamously controversial meeting at the Cottage and if extra aerial power is need then Fulham can call on Brian McBride - a player not to be underestimated.

I get the feeling Coleman seems to fancy his team's chances at Highbury on the evidence of what I have heard over the last 24 hours or so which leads me to have mixed feelings.

As I suggested earlier, I am not particularly Coleman's biggest fan but I do respect Fulham both as a team and as a club. So whilst there is a part of me that would love to see us give them a pasting there's another part of me that knows full well that points are more important than a good performance right now. A mixture of both wouldn't go a-miss though.