Jacob Steinberg was at Craven Cottage this evening. Here’s his report. Thanks for reading this MBM.
Marco Silva’s turn to talk to Sky. “We prepared very well … we wanted to block the power run from Gabriel … we controlled it most of the time … it is a frustration for us … we kept them away … very good chance for Tom Cairney and Harry Wilson … apart from shots from the edge of the box they did not create anything special … we tried until the end … unfortunately not enough in the final third.”
Mikel Arteta speaks to Sky Sports. “Very good … really tough place to come … we did a lot to win the game … we had some difficulties … we overcome them … against a really good organised team … they resisted but we found a way to score a goal … we gave the ball away … we had to change the structure … it takes time … we created some big chances to score a few more goals … we are very happy … another clean sheet … really good to see … we want to be better as a team … is [the penalty] clear and obvious if it takes that long? … we need to continue, it is very early … three weeks ago, we went to Newcastle, if we lost the league was over [smiles wryly] … this is the narrative … that’s the demands … we try our best to win as many football matches as we can, there is no secret to it.”
The player of the match Bukayo Saka talks to Sky. “Obviously there is a lot of expectation on us … we didn’t start as we wanted to … today we were able to turn it around … we are so happy about that … even if [this victory doesn’t look significant] to others, it does to us … Newcastle … West Ham … it’s points we’ve been picking up that we haven’t in previous seasons … I just want to get the ball and make things happen … I grew into the game … I took some rubbish corners … but I kept going … very happy with that … it’s something we work on a lot … it’s quite clear … we’re quite good at it … for me [Kevin’s challenge] is a penalty … I felt contact on my knee before he touched the ball … I don’t want to dwell on it … let’s just move forward … we believe … win in any context … that’s the mentality … we showed that today … that’s what we’re trying to do this season and it will help us get over the line … people can say what they want, we just want to win.”
Here’s a fine stat from Sky Sports that goes a long way to explaining Arsenal’s title challenge at the moment. Fulham didn’t have a shot on target tonight; West Ham didn’t either just before the international break. So that’s the first time since 2003-04 that Arsenal have gone consecutive games without facing a single attempt at goal. That is of course the last season they won the title. An omen, perhaps?
Nobody will be making big claims about that Arsenal performance. But when your defence is rock solid, one scrappy goal from a set piece is more than enough. Arsenal go back to the top, having been briefly deposed by Manchester City earlier in the day, their hard-earned reward for a gutsy victory. Their lead is now a healthy three points, though Liverpool can cut into that with a win over Manchester United at Anfield tomorrow. But the form guide suggests that’s anything but certain; no wonder Arsenal walk off looking very happy with their evening’s work. Meanwhile Fulham don’t appear devastated, even if Marco Silva is in the referee’s ear about some perceived slight or other; when it all comes down, they’ll be pleased with the way they forced Arsenal to dig deep for their win. That knowledge should serve them well as they fight to climb the table.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 8 | 12 | 19 |
| 2 | Man City | 8 | 11 | 16 |
| 3 | Liverpool | 7 | 4 | 15 |
| 4 | AFC Bournemouth | 8 | 3 | 15 |
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 7 | 8 | 14 |
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FULL TIME: Fulham 0-1 Arsenal
One-nil to the Arsenal.
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90 min +9: Saka keeps the ball in the corner. This is done.
90 min +8: Saka, just as he’s being named man of the match on Sky, clips a pass down the right for Zubimendi, who bursts into the box and earns a corner. Arsenal won’t rush to take it.
90 min +7: Jimenez drives down the right, reaches the byline, and swivels to cut back. But none of his team-mates have kept up with play. On the touchline, Marco Silva is beyond furious with his players.
90 min +6: Gyokeres makes way for Norgaard, who makes his Premier League debut for Arsenal.
90 min +4: Gyokeres spins into the box down the right, letting Saka’s pass roll around him. He smacks goalwards. Leno parries. Martinelli tries to poke the rebound home, but the keeper stands firm again. Fulham deal with the resulting corner.
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90 min +2: Traore and Iwobi take turns to dribble down the right. Both make just enough space to shoot … but both decline the opportunity, and the latter eventually runs the ball out for a goal kick.
90 min: Fulham go up the other end through Traore, whose first run of the game leads to a corner. Merino batters it clear. There will be nine additional minutes.
89 min: The ball comes off Zubimendi for a goal kick … but Arsenal are awarded a corner. It’s probably best for all involved that nothing comes of the resulting set piece.
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87 min: Sessegnon needlessly shoves Saka in the back to release the pressure on Arsenal. Saka takes his sweet time to get back up, working the clock like a pro. Meanwhile Arsenal fan Charles Antaki writes: “I’m ready to believe that Gyokeres has hundreds of goals in his locker, all ready to explode on the scene and drive Arsenal to triumph. Very ready. Ready as you like. But something keeps getting in the way.”
86 min: Smith-Rowe sends the lively Kevin into space down the left. Kevin wins a rare Fulham corner. He’ll take it himself … and it’s cleared by Calafiori.
85 min: Arsenal are in control of this. They haven’t conceded an attempt on target since going ahead.
84 min: Zubimendi sends a diagonal towards Timber on the right. Timber reaches the byline, pauses, and dinks a ball back into the mixer. Martinelli tries an overhead kick. He connects spectacularly, but Bassey blocks and clears. VAR checks there’s no handball … and also that Diop didn’t unfairly wrestle Gyokeres to the ground on the goalline. All good news for Fulham.
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82 min: Fulham make a double change, replacing Cuenca and Wilson with Bassey and Traore.
81 min: Arsenal replace their goalscoring hero Trossard with Martinelli.
80 min: Jimenez drops deep, and quarterbacks a pass down the inside-left channel, hoping to release Wilson. But Gabriel is too wily and too strong. Wilson flaps around in annoyance. Arsenal counter, and Gyokeres bursts into the box from the left, only to wang a dismal effort over the bar.
78 min: Kevin’s sheer persistence is enough to get the better of both Timber and Merino down the left, and Zubimendi is forced to skittle him to the ground. The resulting free kick leads to some head tennis in the Arsenal box, and there’s only one team likely to win that particular game. The visitors clear.
77 min: Wilson has the opportunity to attack down the left, but there’s nobody in the middle to support and he’s forced to turn tail, eventually shipping possession with a poor backwards pass intended for Berge. Merino steps in to intercept.
75 min: … and when something does happen, Kevin crossing from the left, Gabriel tussles with Jimenez and clears with authority. Fulham want a penalty, but there’s no way they’re getting one. A hard but fair challenge, which VAR rubber-stamps.
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74 min: That reprieve has given Fulham an energy boost. They’re first to most things now, although Arsenal don’t give anyone anything for free, and are holding their defensive shape. Not much going on in their final third.
72 min: Now Iwobi pops up on the right, but nobody in white attacks the decent low cross he sends in.
71 min: Iwobi slides a pass down the inside-left channel for Sessegnon, who can’t control. Had he done so, he was through on goal. Mind you, had he done so, the flag would have popped up for offside. Goal kick.
70 min: That’s got the crowd going again. The home faithful had been somewhat subdued since Arsenal took the lead. No longer.
VAR: No penalty
69 min: The ref announces that Kevin played the ball. No pen. Saka with head in hands, but that is surely a wrong decision made right.
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68 min: It takes a while to power up the monitor, but eventually a picture pops up. Anthony Taylor takes a long look. Players and staff surround the referee. This is taking an age.
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67 min: Referee Anthony Taylor is sent over to the VAR monitor. This will surely be overturned.
66 min: VAR is having a good old look at this. Kevin certainly touched the ball while lunging in. Does he get enough of the ball? Has his knee also caught Saka?
Penalty for Arsenal!
65 min: Saka jinks in from the right. He’s heading the wrong way, but enters the box. Kevin lunges. Saka goes over, and the ref points to the spot. That looks a bit harsh, because Kevin got a stud or two on the ball. Over to VAR.
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64 min: Saka dribbles daintily down the inside-left channel, getting past Diop easily and making just enough space for a shot. Leno blocks.
63 min: Fulham make a double change, replacing Cairney – limping, so it’s presumably not the shoulder – and King with Smith-Rowe and Kevin.
62 min: Cairney goes down again, that shoulder still giving him gyp. Looks like he’ll be replaced by Arsenal old boy Smith-Rowe. Before that change can be made, Arsenal make a swap, replacing Eze – strangely underwhelming today – for Merino.
60 min: That’s Arsenal’s seventh goal from a corner so far this season. They’ve scored two penalties and one free kick, and five from open play. You can thank Sky Sports for the statistical breakdown.
GOAL! Fulham 0-1 Arsenal (Trossard 58)
Saka’s corner from the right fizzes through the six-yard box. Gabriel with the eyebrows at the near post. Nobody in white responds. Trossard, at the far stick, knees home. Simple as that! Arsenal’s set pieces working well now.
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57 min: Saka and Eze combine cutely down the inside-right channel and nearly release Gyokeres. Cuenca extends a leg to divert out for a corner, just in time. And from that …
56 min: Gyokeres tries to spin around Cuenca and into the Fulham box. He goes over, claiming a penalty, but neither referee nor VAR shows any interest in awarding one. Correctly so. That was his first touch of the second half.
55 min: … but they bustle forward en masse here, Wilson and Jimenez causing all sorts of bother with some power running, and hard 50-50 challenging, down the middle. Eventually the ball’s sent wide left for Iwobi, who crosses for Wilson. A first-time volley sails over the bar. For a couple of seconds there, Arsenal were all over the shop.
53 min: Arsenal are well on top. Fulham, that counter-attack apart, are struggling to find a way out.
51 min: Saka curls a dismal corner towards the near post, and it’s a doddle for Castagne to clear under no pressure whatsoever. Fulham go up the other end, and Wilson lets fly from 25 yards. Over the bar it goes. Arsenal’s set pieces have been uncharacteristically poor so far this evening.
50 min: Saka dribbles hard down the right, skips past a couple of tackles, and prods the ball into a crowded six-yard box. Gyokeres again can’t get there, but the ball nearly ends up in the net anyway, Berge accidentally pinging it goalwards. He’s lucky that Castagne is on hand to whip clear. But it’s at the expense of a corner.
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48 min: Eze drifts in from the right and loops a cross towards Gyokeres, who can’t connect. But the ball sails through to Trossard, who has time to take the ball down and … drag a weak shot wide of the left-hand post. That was a highly decent chance and a very poor effort.
47 min: Saka is clumsily brought down by Sessegnon while going nowhere down the right. A chance to sling a free kick into the box. Rice takes but it’s easily cleared by the home defence.
Arsenal get the second half underway. No changes. “I spend more time than is strictly speaking healthy thinking about Calafiori’s role in the Arsenal team,” writes Kári Tulinius. “As far as I can tell, in attack he’s supposed to create overloads, but he doesn’t do it in any kind of predictable manner, showing up all over the place. This makes him hard to pick up for opponents, but his fellow Gunners also seem like they don’t expect him to go where he goes, which wastes the man advantage. He’s confounding.”
Half-time entertainment. A big day in the north tomorrow.
HALF TIME: Fulham 0-0 Arsenal
There’s just enough time for Rice to wildly slash a long-range shot wide left, and then the hosts walk off much the happier. Though as things stand, Arsenal are still returning to the top at the end of the day.
45 min +4: … and that corner comes to nothing, Rice eventually floating a cross from the left deep into the Hammersmith End.
45 min +3: Fulham go long down the right and Wilson earns a throw off Gabriel. Sessegnon comes across to fling it long, but Calafiori clears. Arsenal counter at speed, but Timber faffs around on the right wing, allowing Jimenez to nick the ball off his toe. It’s a corner, though.
45 min +1: Wilson caught that ball flush on the lug, and he’s felt it. But he’ll be happy to continue.
45 min: There’s no malice involved, but Zubimendi batters the ball into Wilson’s face from close range. On comes the Fulham physio yet again. As a result of all these stoppages, there will be six additional first-half minutes.
44 min: Saka is causing all sorts of bother down the right. This time he sails past Iwobi and forces Cuenca to head his cross behind for another Arsenal corner. Saka whips it into the mixer, and Leno punches clear with confidence.
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43 min: King is fine to continue, though, so at least that’s something. Play restarts.
42 min: In the meantime, Andersen goes down. He can’t continue, and limps off to be replaced by Diop. Fulham are in the wars right now.
41 min: Arsenal look to break upfield, only for the play to be stopped as King has taken a whack in the mush. That might have been friendly fire, as King, Jimenez and Rice all came together. Arsenal aren’t happy about it, but what could the referee do?
40 min: Saka delivers low to the near post. Gyokeres cushions it back to him. Saka crosses long. Trossard can’t connect with a header. Arsenal are on top now.
39 min: Saka dribbles hard down the right and nearly gets the better of Jimenez. He settles for a corner, which he’ll take himself.
38 min: Saka reaches the byline down the right and loops long for Calafiori, who certainly isn’t shy of shooting. His volley creams over the crossbar. Leno had it covered.
37 min: … and that prediction nearly comes to pass immediately. Saka slips a pass down the inside-right channel to release Gyokeres into the box. Gyokeres – taking just his third touch of the match – swivels and shoots low and hard. Leno parries. The looping ball doesn’t drop kindly for Trossard, and the keeper claims.
35 min: … so Calafiori gets fed up, strutting in from the left and looking for the top-right corner again. Andersen hangs out a leg and deflects wide left, and nothing comes of the corner. Meanwhile here’s more from Fulham fan and pre-match bag of pessimism Richard Hirst: “Six shots to one, four corners to one: we all know how this is going to end. Who’d be a football supporter?”
34 min: Arsenal pass and probe, probe and pass, but Fulham hold their shape. The hosts happy to sit back for now.
33 min: Cairney is back up, but doesn’t look wholly comfortable, still grasping his neck and shoulder. But he’ll continue.
31 min: Cairney is down feeling his right shoulder. On comes the physio.
30 min: Eze cheaply ships possession to King, who makes off down the right. King looks to be going nowhere, turning tail, but then Eze makes a half-hearted attempt to close him down, allowing King to spin back and mishit a cross that nearly sails over Raya’s head from a ludicrous angle. Raya, backtracking, is forced to slap over the bar. Nothing comes of the resulting corner. So close to an outrageous fluke.
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28 min: King tries to release Wilson down the right, but Gabriel comes across, stepping in to take control and usher the ball back to Raya. A necessary defensive intervention.
26 min: Much better from Iwobi here, as he waltzes in from the left and rolls a cute diagonal pass towards Wilson, on the right-hand edge of the D. Wilson tries to catch out Raya with a forensic shot towards the bottom right, but it’s always heading wide. Might have been better to put his foot through that. It was a good chance, and a great pass from Iwobi.
24 min: Iwobi probes down the left but upon reaching the corner flag, sees his cross ping off the nearby Timber, back off his startled face and out. Goal kick.
22 min: Saka drives down the right and glides infield, at which point his shot is blocked the nanosecond the ball comes off his boot. Then a throw comes in from the left, but doesn’t quite fall to Trossard. This is end-to-end all right.
21 min: Arsenal calm things down with some of the old sterile domination.
19 min: One corner from the right leads to another … and then Jimenez is penalised for a not-particularly-high kick on Eze, who was ducking into a clearing header.
18 min: Sessegnon advances down the left and crosses towards Jimenez, who is penalised for an overly physical stretch for the ball. Then Fulham come again, King cutting in from the right and taking a shot from distance that’s deflected over the bar. This is a really open game. It’s great fun.
Calafiori goal disallowed
16 min: Arsenal put the ball in the net, in spectacular fashion. Timber sends a long diagonal towards Trossard on the left-hand corner of the box. Trossard high-kicks infield, where Calafiori instantly lashes across Leno and into the top-right corner! What a pearler! Unfortunately, he was clearly offside upon receiving the ball. The goal’s immediately chalked off.
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15 min: Fulham will be happy with this start, though. They’ve responded very well to Arsenal’s earlier attempts to impose themselves, and carved out a couple of decent half-chances.
13 min: Now Fulham latch onto a Gabriel mistake, Wilson advancing down the inside-right channel and into the box. He attempts to steer a shot into the bottom left, but in circumventing Raya, he also sends the ball wide of the post.
11 min: … but here come Fulham again, Wilson drifting down the right and rolling the ball infield for Jimenez, whose shot across Raya takes a deflection and rolls out for a corner. The set piece comes in from the left and is met first time by Cairney’s sidefoot. The ball may be heading into the bottom left, it may not, but we’ll never know for sure, because instead it slaps poor Zubimendi square in the fruit bowl. Arsenal clear as their brave midfielder catches in breath.
10 min: King snaffles the ball in the centre circle and finds Jimenez, who in turn looks for Wilson down the right. The pass is too strong and the move breaks down. A shame for Fulham, as a better weighted ball would have sent Wilson through on goal.
9 min: Rice slips a pass down the inside-left channel for Gyokeres, who reaches the byline and cuts back to … nobody in particular. Andersen blooters clear.
8 min: Sessegnon skittles Saka out on the right. The free kick’s worked to Calafiori on the other flank. Calafiori sends the ball back into the mixer, where Sessegnon makes up for his earlier intervention with a clearing header.
7 min: Arsenal are beginning to find their feet. Rice and Zubimendi seeing a fair bit of the ball in the middle.
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6 min: A bit of space for Trossard down the left. He slices his cross into the stand behind the goal. Probably for the best, as King looked to have been illegally knocked over earlier in the move, but the referee waved play on, much to the home support’s ire.
4 min: Gyokeres nearly gets on the end of a simple long punt down the middle. The ball doesn’t quite fall for him, and Leno is able to come off his line to claim. But for a second, the striker’s eyes were lighting up.
3 min: All a bit scrappy so far.
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2 min: Arsenal are kicking towards the Hammersmith End in this first half.
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The players take a knee – there’s No Room For Racism – and then Fulham get the ball rolling. Plenty of noise, joyous bedlam, London derby, all that.
The teams emerge from the Cottage. Fulham in white, Arsenal in second-choice blue. A heady atmosphere down by the river. It won’t be too long now.
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Marco Silva talks to Sky. “[To have Raúl Jiménez back] is crucial … we have two strikers who have been scoring more than 20 goals a season together … we miss Rodrigo [Muniz] … it is crucial to have at least one of them.”
Mikel Arteta, exuding determination, speaks to Sky Sports. “We have to learn from the [mistakes of the] very recent past … improve as a team … we have done it against Newcastle and West Ham … now after three years of not winning [at Craven Cottage] we must do it against Fulham … it is about momentum … flexibility … options … Fulham have a high level of organisation … patterns … a real threat … it is always a challenge to play here.”
Pre-match postbag o’pessimism. “Marco Silva’s team selections are getting more and more weird, and we’re most definitely going to be in the relegation struggle,” sighs Richard Hirst. “Love what Tom Cairney has given Fulham but he is not the player to take on this Arsenal midfield; we could be swamped today. Let’s just hope No Kings only applies in the States and that Josh finally gets some luck to go with his skill.”
Arsenal started the day atop the Premier League. Now, for a couple of hours at least, they’ve been knocked off their perch. Barry Glendenning has the details of Manchester City’s win over Everton in today’s Clockwatch. No change for Fulham, who remain in 14th place. A draw this evening will be enough for Arsenal to reclaim top spot, while Fulham can climb into the top half, though they’d need to win by three clear goals to leapfrog tenth-placed Everton.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Man City | 8 | 11 | 16 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 7 | 11 | 16 |
| 3 | Liverpool | 7 | 4 | 15 |
| 4 | AFC Bournemouth | 8 | 3 | 15 |
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 7 | 8 | 14 |
That victory over West Ham sent Arsenal top. Ed Aarons takes a gander at 20 years’ worth of data and explains why that ostensibly welcome state of affairs for the Gunners comes with absolutely no guarantees whatsoever.
It’s been a while … so here’s a reminder of what happened to both teams last time around.
Fulham make three changes to their starting line-up following their 3-1 loss at Bournemouth. Raúl Jiménez, Jorge Cuenca and captain Tom Cairney return, at the expense of Issa Diop and Calvin Bassey, who are benched, and the injured Saša Lukić. Antonee Robinson and Rodrigo Muniz are also unavailable.
Arsenal make just one change to their starting XI after their 2-0 home win over West Ham. Martin Ødegaard is injured, so in comes Martín Zubimendi.
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The teams
Fulham: Leno, Castagne, Andersen, Cuenca, Sessegnon, Berge, Cairney, Wilson, King, Iwobi, Jimenez.
Subs: Lecomte, Tete, Bassey, Reed, Traore, Kusi-Asare, Kevin, Diop, Smith Rowe.
Arsenal: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Eze, Zubimendi, Rice, Saka, Gyokeres, Trossard.
Subs: Arrizabalaga, Mosquera, White, Martinelli, Norgaard, Nwaneri, Merino, Lewis-Skelly, Dowman.
Referee: Anthony Taylor.
VAR: Stuart Attwell.
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Preamble
Three weeks ago, the 2025-26 Premier League was Liverpool’s to lose. Now it’s safe in the hands of Arsenal. It’s all been a bit presumptuous seeing the season’s barely started, but that’s the modern discourse for you. Hey, we’re all at fault. So can Arsenal consolidate their lead at the top, against a side who have only defeated them once in the last 14 meetings? Or will they let things slip at a ground where they’ve failed to win in either of their last two visits? Fulham could do with a result themselves, having lost their previous two matches before the international break, so this London derby is set up deliciously. Kick-off is at 5.30pm. It’s on!
