Arsenal were pretty dismal on Sunday afternoon as they could only muster a 1-1 draw against Fulham at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners were looking to build on Thursday’s huge win over Slavia Prague, but turned in a very flat performance.
Josh Maja’s penalty looked like it was going to win the game for Fulham, but Eddie Nketiah popped up with a last-gasp goal to rescue a point.
Mikel Arteta needs to find a way to bring some consistency to Arsenal, and he may well be seeking summer signings to make that happen.
Intriguingly, one of those summer signings may well be Mat Ryan, as Arteta may have dropped a hint about his future.
Ryan was a surprise inclusion in the side, replacing Bernd Leno in the side. He may not have prevented Fulham from scoring, but he did win a key header late in the day to give Arsenal a point.
This felt like more than just giving Leno a rest. Arteta was effusive in his praise of Ryan after the game, branding him a ‘beast’ in training and deserving of a chance to start.
If Ryan didn’t have a long-term future at Arsenal, would Arteta have really thrown him into this game? This felt like a pre-cursor to teeing up a permanent move for the Australian.
Ryan is currently on loan from Brighton and Hove Albion until the end of the season, and with Arsenal needing proven competition for Bernd Leno, the 29-year-old may be in the driving seat for that role.
Arteta appears to be a big fan of Ryan, and his shock start may well be an indication that there is more to come for him in North London.
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