We made it nine straight wins in all competitions with a 5-1 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday afternoon.
That means we head into the international break having obtained 18 points from a possible 24 - but here are four other things that are worth paying attention to from our most recent win.
LETHAL LACA
Alex Lacazette has started this season as if he has a point to prove, and that continued in west London. The France international was always at the heart of the action and his two goals showcased his talents; the first a brilliant near-post finish, the second a shot that not many inside the ground thought he would even take on, let alone score. Laca’s stats this term make for very encouraging reading; he has been directly involved in six goals in five starts in the Premier League (four goals, two assists), while his opener here was his 150th in club football. It has been some 2018/19 for him so far.
Alexandre Lacazette
ANOTHER SECOND-HALF MASTERCLASS
Ahead of this game, 10 of our 14 Premier League goals had been scored in the second halves of matches – and that rate only increased at Craven Cottage. We always looked a threat in the opening 45 minutes, but stepped it up a level after the restart to a level that the hosts just could not live with. Not only did we up the intensity, but our substitutes made a huge impact – with Aaron Ramsey and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at the fore, this was the first time in Premier League history two substitutes have scored and assisted for a team in a single game.
RAMBO'S HIGHLIGHTS REEL
Aaron Ramsey already has quite a highlights reel from his time with us, and his flicked finish here – a mere 39 seconds after coming on for Alex Iwobi – can certainly be added to that. The Wales international was in the right place at the right time to finish off a thrilling, sweeping counter-attack with an impudent backheel that arrowed into the far corner. The reaction of the away support said it all, they knew they had seen something very special – up there with Rambo’s memorable goals at Galatasaray and Tottenham, and his Emirates Stadium strikes against Liverpool and CSKA Moscow.
Breakdown: Here's how Aaron Ramsey's goal materialised
A NEW FORMATION
Having played three at the back in midweek at Qarabag, we reverted to a back four at Carven Cottage – but it was up front where the intrigue lay. For the first time this season, we appeared to be playing two up front with Alex Lacazette and Danny Welbeck, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Alex Iwobi stationed out on the flanks. It speaks of the tactical flexibility that Unai Emery has introduced this season, and it worked well here with both strikers combining nicely.
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