Arsenal got what they wanted at Fulham. However, the question is whether their 1-0 win is enough to win the Premier League?
The answer is likely to be yes. The Gunners are currently the most complete team in the league, at least in two aspects. That is discipline in defense and effectiveness in set pieces. That combination continued to work when it helped them overcome a passionate Fulham game, thanks to a goal by Leandro Trossard in the 58th minute.
That goal brought home 3 valuable points and helped Arsenal consolidate their top position in the table. They are 3 points ahead of Liverpool, who will host Manchester United at Anfield.
This may be a statistic that has been mentioned a lot, but it is still worth repeating: since the beginning of the 2023-2024 season, Arsenal have scored 37 goals from corners - 16 more than any other team. This factor gives them a clear advantage in a championship race that is predicted to be extremely tense in the early stages of the season.
The stability and solidity of Arsenal's defense at the moment is almost unreasonable. After Trossard's goal, Fulham only had one shot for the entire remainder of the match, before Mikel Arteta and his team left Craven Cottage with all 3 points.
"We created a lot of set pieces, and it started from there. When facing teams playing low defense, they often do not push up, do not expand space. Therefore, set pieces are an opportunity for us to put the players in the right position, in the right role. And we need to make the most of that," said Mikel Arteta after the match.
It was too early to make any meaningful comparisons, but on the same day that Manchester City star striker Erling Haaland made the difference with a double against Everton, the way Arsenal scored against Fulham brought a clear contrast.
The Gunners could have won by a larger margin if Viktor Gyokeres had not extended his goalless streak to nine games for both club and country. The Swedish striker had two clear chances in each half but missed both.
Both of those situations showed Gyokeres' lack of confidence - something Haaland has in excess at the moment. However, it would be unfair to compare a player who is still adapting to the new environment with a new team, with one of the world's top centre-forwards.
Before joining Arsenal for €73 million in the summer of 2025, Gyokeres scored 97 goals in 102 matches for Sporting Lisbon. His early recovery will bring a more positive perspective to Arsenal's performance, who still know how to win even though they are not at their best.
"Gyokeres is very close to a goal today, maybe two or three times. We all hope he will score. The intensity of work he brings to the team is extraordinary. So we just want to continue to support and give him confidence, then the goal will come" - Arteta shared.
