Leandro Trossard scored the winning goal as Arsenal dug deep to secure a narrow 1-0 win over Fulham on Saturday. Despite having 9 shots on target, the Craven Cottage-based outfit failed to hit the target, while the Gunners retained their top spot in the Premier League standings.
Trossard scored in the 58th minute, helping break the deadlock against a resolute Fulham side. The win helped Mikel Arteta’s side to remain three points clear of second-placed Manchester City.
Timeline:
58’ Goal! – Leandro Trossard (Arsenal) – Tucked in from close range after an Arsenal corner.
67’ VAR denied a penalty to Arsenal – Anthony Taylor gave a spot kick but overturned his decision after VAR intervention.
Final score: Fulham 0-1 Arsenal.
Tactical Breakdown:
The first half at Fulham’s home ground was a tight affair with barely any goalmouth action. Fulham had three chances after the first ten minutes, but Raul Jimenez’s shot was deflected wide, and Tom Cairney’s shot was blocked by Martin Zubimendi.
Harry Wilson also dragged a shot wide to give the home fans something to cheer for. Arsenal had a goal chalked off for offside. Ricardo Califiori, Viktor Gyokeres, and Declan Rice also attempted to trouble Bernd Leno, but he remained firm.
Then came the goal, Bukayo Saka delivered a corner which was deflected onto Trossard’s way by Gabriel. The Belgian finished from close range to become Arsenal’s 10th different goal-scorer this term.
Saka was brought down inside the box shortly after the hour mark, but Anthony Taylor, after consulting with VAR, felt Kevin’s challenge didn’t have enough meat. Gabriel and William Saliba dug deep and bagged a hard-earned win.
Standout Performers:
- Bukayo Saka – The Arsenal winger was the Player of the Match as he registered two shots and had a hand in the winning goal.
- Bernd Leno – If not for the Fulham custodian’s 4 saves, the scoreline could have been much worse.
- Gabriel – Bagged an assist, was alert inside the box, and made 9 clearances while winning 6 of his 9 aerial duels.
- William Saliba – The Frenchman made 5 recoveries, blocked 1 shot, and was a rock at the back.
Manager and Player Reaction :
- Mikel Arteta – “They are really well organized, especially with the context of the result. The more it dragged on, I think we were better and better and managed to win the game and another clean sheet.”
- Marco Silva – “What is a frustration for us is that we felt that we were well prepared for that moment, and we showed throughout the game that we are very well prepared for that moment. But this is the type of game you have to have to keep to focus 95, 100 minutes there. And most of the time we did a very good job.”
Stats and Numbers:
| Stat | Arsenal | Fulham |
| Possession | 63% | 37% |
| Shots | 16 | 9 |
| Shots on Target | 5 | 0 |
| Corners | 10 | 6 |
What It Means:
Arsenal remain at the top of the pile by three points. City are in second place while Liverpool have slipped to third place, making it an interesting three-way battle for the title.
Conclusion:
Arsenal remain flawless in their past five games; Mikel Arteta’s side continued their red-hot form. The Gunners will be taking on high-flying Crystal Palace on 26 October, but before that, they will face Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League matchday 3.
