Arsenal moved three points clear at the top of the Premier League as Leandro Trossard secured a 1-0 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday.
The Belgian forward scored his first league goal of the season in the second half, which proved enough to clinch Arsenal’s fifth consecutive win in all competitions and extend their unbeaten run to eight games.
Following Liverpool’s back-to-back defeats that saw the reigning champions slip from the top spot, Arsenal have been installed as the bookmakers’ favourites to lift the Premier League title.
Manchester City briefly claimed first place earlier on Saturday with a 2-0 win over Everton, but the Gunners responded with a solid, if unspectacular, performance by the banks of the River Thames to reclaim pole position.
Arsenal have now won six of their eight league matches this season as they chase their first English top-flight title since 2004.
Match highlights
Fulham threatened early when Harry Wilson’s reverse pass found Raul Jimenez, but Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya was quick to push the Mexican striker’s effort away.
Wilson then went close himself, curling a shot narrowly past the far post after capitalizing on a misplaced pass from Gabriel Magalhaes.
Riccardo Calafiori momentarily thought he had put Arsenal ahead against the run of play, but his well-struck volley was ruled offside following a VAR review.
Fulham continued to test Raya with Wilson’s low drive from the edge of the box and a threatening cross from Josh King, both of which the goalkeeper managed to fend off.
Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres, running onto a precise pass from Bukayo Saka, was denied by a fine save from Fulham keeper Bernd Leno, extending his goal drought to seven games.
Before halftime, Calafiori volleyed over from distance, and Declan Rice’s powerful strike went wide as Arsenal sought a breakthrough.
In the second half, Arsenal’s frustration grew as Trossard missed a close-range shot and Timothy Castagne made a vital goal-line clearance.
Fulham nearly capitalized when Wilson volleyed just over the bar, but the breakthrough finally came in the 58th minute.
Trossard’s goal and Arsenal’s set-piece dominance
With Mick Jagger—a well-known Arsenal supporter—watching from the stands, Arsenal’s set-piece prowess proved decisive. Gabriel flicked on a corner from Saka, allowing Trossard to tap in from close range.
Since the start of the 2023-24 season, Arsenal have scored 37 goals from corners in the Premier League, underscoring their effectiveness in dead-ball situations.
The momentum stayed with the Gunners as Saka weaved through the Fulham defense, forcing Leno into a smart save.
Arsenal were denied a penalty when Kevin’s challenge on Saka was initially called a foul by referee Anthony Taylor but overturned by VAR, which showed the Brazilian defender made contact with the ball.
Meanwhile, Gyokeres, who scored 97 goals in 102 matches for Sporting Lisbon, struggled to find his footing at Arsenal. He missed two promising chances late on—one when he fired over with the goal at his mercy and another shot blocked by Leno.
Despite the late pressure, Arsenal held on to secure a vital win to boost their title ambitionsg
