Arsenal beat Fulham 1-0 to return to Premier League summit

Premier League trophy symbolizes Arsenal's return to the league summit (Illustrative image - AI generated) Upday Stock Images

Arsenal returned to the Premier League summit with a resolute 1-0 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage. The Gunners moved three points clear of Manchester City at the top of the table through their trademark set-piece excellence and defensive solidity.

Leandro Trossard scored the decisive goal in the 58th minute, stabbing home Gabriel's flick-on from a corner kick. The Belgian striker was in the right place at the right time as Arsenal's dead-ball specialists struck again to break Fulham's resistance.

Standout performances

Bukayo Saka delivered another consistent display as Arsenal's most threatening attacker throughout the match. The England international was unfortunate not to register a goal contribution despite being a constant menace to Fulham's defence.

Jurrien Timber continued his impressive form since recovering from injury, earning an 8/10 rating with another assured defensive performance. The Dutch defender has established himself as one of the Premier League's most reliable centre-backs this season.

VAR controversy

Arsenal thought they had won a penalty when Bukayo Saka was fouled, but referee Anthony Taylor overturned his initial decision following a VAR intervention. The incident added drama to an otherwise controlled performance from Mikel Arteta's side.

Nine minutes of added time gave Fulham hope of finding a late equaliser. However, Arsenal's defensive discipline ensured they avoided any late drama to secure another crucial victory.

Defensive excellence

According to The Standard, this marked the first time since the Invincibles season that Arsenal haven't faced a shot on target in consecutive Premier League games. Fulham failed to register a single effort on target throughout the 90 minutes.

The Independent reports that Arsenal have now scored 37 goals from corners since the start of the 2023-24 season - 16 more than any other Premier League side. Only Erling Haaland has managed to score from open play against Arsenal this season, highlighting their exceptional defensive record.

Sources used: "Mirror", "The Standard", "Independent", "Daily Star", "Guardian" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.