The single disgruntled spectator who shouted “Sack the manager” as he left the Emirates Stadium must have been joking — mustn’t he? — but while there would once have been jeers of disapproval from fans around him, on Saturday there were none.

Arsenal have recorded four successive goalless draws in the Barclays Premier League, their first such sequence of matches without scoring since the 1994-95 season and the first under Arsène Wenger. Three have been at home and despite an official attendance just short of capacity, there were scores of empty seats, suggesting that plenty of supporters suspected what was coming.

Wenger’s position is not under threat, but he is under self-imposed pressure, which has increased as Arsenal have dropped farther behind as they attempt to retain a Champions League place. “I don’t know whether \ are losing faith,” he said. “The biggest worry is that we don’t win games we should win. I want to be in the Champions League because it’s the best I can be. For me, it is not important — it’s vital.”

Wenger acknowledged that the difference between this and Arsenal’s usual battering against a packed defence was that Fulham were adventurous. In Danny Murphy they had an experienced leader in midfield that Arsenal lacked — and which Murphy believes they need.

“He \ has gone for a younger squad and it is going to evolve,” he said. “They are wonderfully gifted, but I’m a believer in a blend of experience and youth. Experience goes a long way. They don’t have it in enough areas, but Wenger would know better than me.”

What Arsenal need is a match against a team that play an open game and have a defence that is more porous than Fulham’s well-organised rearguard. Luckily, such a team — West Bromwich Albion — are Arsenal’s next opponents, at The Hawthorns tomorrow evening. Fail to score then and that single voice could become a chorus.

Arsenal (4-4-1-1): M Almunia 6 — B Sagna 5 (sub: E Eboué, 70min 6), K Touré 5, W Gallas 5, G Clichy 5 — A Arshavin 5, A Diaby 5, Denilson 5, C Vela 5 (sub: N Bendtner, 63 6) — S Nasri 4 — R van Persie 7. Substitutes not used: L Fabianski, A Ramsey, A Song, J Djourou, K Gibbs. Next: West Bromwich Albion (a).

Fulham (4-4-2): M Schwarzer 7 — C Baird 5 (sub: F Stoor, 46 5), A Hughes 7, B Hangeland 8, P Konchesky 6 — S Davies 6, D Murphy 8, D Etuhu 6, C Dempsey 6 (sub: Z Gera, 88) — R Zamora 7, A Johnson 8. Substitutes not used: P Zuberbühler, E Nevland, D Kamara, O Dacourt, T Kallio. Next: Hull City (h).

Referee: P Walton Attendance: 60,102