Gary Lineker said on a podcast that Arsenal, without summer signing Martin Zubimendi in the side, produced a fluid performance they have seldom shown recently—Mikel Arteta's team won 3-0 at Craven Cottage on Saturday night, keeping their Premier League title push on track. Zubimendi was on the bench this time, with Myles Lewis-Skelly pushed into midfield, the "fundamental change" Lineker highlighted.
Three points away and the fixture backdrop
For title-chasing sides, these away games are often undervalued: Craven Cottage holds roughly 29,589, with riverside stands, narrow walkways and short transition areas that tighten the tempo. Fulham's last six league results read win 2-0, draw 1-1, loss 0-1, loss 0-3, win 1-0, draw 0-0—proof they are not easy points. Arsenal's 3-0 win without Zubimendi in the starting XI mattered not only for the scoreline but for avoiding another grinding, tempo-sapping battle.
Gary Neville had already noted Zubimendi had been "struggling" for a while; with him on the bench, the Gunners pressed forward more boldly. Lineker was blunt on The Rest Is Football: no offence to Zubimendi, but he is a cautious player in a defensive midfield role who tends to recycle possession backwards. Lewis-Skelly was not a stopgap "shifted from left-back into midfield"; his instinct is to turn forward and speed the release, which let Arsenal move the ball into the final third faster.
How midfield positioning reshaped the attack
Lineker sees a "fundamental difference" between recent Arsenal teams and the side on Saturday night. Arteta pushed his wingers higher so Bukayo Saka could receive the ball in better moments for one-on-ones; Declan Rice is a different threat—most dangerous carrying the ball but likewise not quick to pick forward passes. Lewis-Skelly in central areas looked forward more aggressively, objectively helping Rice, Saka and the wide players raise the tempo.
Worth noting is that observers have long viewed Lewis-Skelly as a full-back, yet he has been playing with real aggression in the holding midfield role. Lineker called that “quite interesting”: a young player constantly looking forward in central areas releases Arsenal’s vertical threat more than adding another defensive midfielder whose first instinct is to settle the ball. Saka getting more chances to take on defenders directly is the product of tactics and personnel working together—not a one-off personal surge.
The debate over Zubimendi’s role
Since joining last summer, Zubimendi’s recent performances have drawn questions; Lineker characterised his habits as “cautious” and prone to laying the ball off or playing backwards— not always in sync with Arteta’s pressing and quick-transition game. Neville’s assessment that he is “struggling” sits awkwardly alongside his benching in this match and the team’s sharper flow. That does not mean Zubimendi has no value: the Premier League title race is relentless and opponents are strong, and rotation and load management remain equations Arteta must solve—but Lineker’s question is pointed: when Arsenal need to shift up a gear immediately, who is best placed alongside Rice.
Arteta’s “tough” approach to Lewis-Skelly
Lewis-Skelly’s limited minutes this season sit in contrast to his rapid rise in 2025-26. Arteta admitted after the match that he has “always been hard” on the youngster and insisted he “fully deserved” this showing: after bursting into the first team last season, he hit a dip, but this performance showed he can be trusted in a big game. For a title-chasing squad, being able to use and energise a versatile player who looks to play forward in a difficult away tie is another card for navigating a packed schedule.
Title race lens: the trade-offs behind one win
The 3-0 win at Fulham extended Arsenal’s lead at the top of the table, but the talking point has already shifted to midfield selection: keep the more reliable defensive pivot, or trade a bit of that stability for a more adventurous link man to pick up the tempo. Lineker put it plainly—the version without Zubimendi in the starting XI on Saturday night moved the ball forward faster, pushed the wide players higher, and gave Saka more room to operate. Rice still needs the right partner alongside him to bring out his best ball-carrying; if Lewis-Skelley can reproduce Saturday’s role on a consistent basis, Arteta gains another rotation option for the biggest fixtures and midweek congestion, rather than having to bank on the same central pairing every time.
Two things are worth watching closely: whether Zubimendi will force his way back into the starting lineup, and whether that comes at the cost of some defensive cover; and whether Lewis-Skelley can turn a one-off performance into sustained output. On Fulham’s side, the home atmosphere and their recent run of results both serve as a reminder to title contenders—there are no “easy away days” in the Premier League. Arsenal took this stop with a more aggressive approach in possession, but the season is far from over, and this midfield dilemma is likely to keep coming back around.
