1) Palhinha absence telling in Fulham loss
Fulham were meek against Arsenal: they looked timid and small from the opening moments, the surprise entirely minimal when their visitors put the outcome beyond doubt so quickly. Their tilt at Europe is fizzling out although that should not diminish the excellent work Marco Silva has done in ensuring they do not yo-yo down to the Championship yet again. They badly missed the suspended João Palhinha: he has missed four games in all competitions this season and Fulham have lost all four, conceding 12 goals. Fulham played a blinder in landing him from Sporting and their drop-off without him is a reminder it will take some time for them to amass the depth of quality that will mitigate such absences. On Sunday, they were unable to get any grip in midfield. At least their next four league games are against relegation contenders: if Palhinha returns with the influence he wielded previously, they can still lever themselves back into the top-six conversation. Nick Ames
