Arsenal player ratings vs Fulham: Set-piece again, ole ole! Leandro Trossard the hero as Bukayo Saka torments Cottagers to main Gunners’ title charge
Arsenal kept the pressure on their Premier League title rivals with a hard-fought 1-0 win at Fulham thanks to Leandro Trossard’s second-half goal. The Gunners never looked like losing points and relied on their set-piece prowess to get the job done, with Bukayo Saka, who caused all sorts of problems for the hosts throughout the 90 minutes, creating the winning goal with a delightful corner.
Mikel Arteta’s side had picked up just one point from their last two visits to Craven Cottage and they struggled again in a disjointed first half, with Viktor Gyokeres’ effort well saved by Bernd Leno the only shot on target either team could muster.
The visitors improved after the break, however, and got a crucial breakthrough just before the hour mark – with a free-kick once again managing to go the distance. Saka’s corner was headed in by Gabriel, with Trossard slotting the ball home from close range.
Saka thought he had a penalty shortly afterwards when he was tripped by Kevin, but after awarding the spot-kick, referee Anthony Taylor overturned his decision after a VAR review deemed the Fulham substitute had collected the ball first. The Gunners would retain the victory which now makes it five on the bounce in all competitions, the three points ensuring they regain their lead at the top of the Premier League table.
AIM rates Craven Cottage’s Arsenal players…