LONDON — Arsenal achieved their goal with a 1-0 victory against Fulham on Saturday, but will their approach be sufficient to secure the Premier League title?
There’s a good chance it could be. The Gunners excel in two key areas: solid defensive organization and effectiveness from set pieces. This winning combination allowed them to narrowly beat a determined Fulham team, with Leandro Trossard’s close-range strike in the 58th minute clinching the three points and extending their lead at the top of the table. They are currently three points ahead of Liverpool, who will take on Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday.
It’s become a familiar statistic, but worth reiterating: since the start of the 2023-24 season, Arsenal has netted 37 goals from corners—16 more than any other team. This gives them a significant advantage as the title race looks increasingly competitive.
The consistency and determination displayed in their defence is remarkable. Following Trossard’s goal, Fulham managed just a single shot for the remainder of the match. A blocked volley from substitute Adama Traore was all they could muster, as Arsenal comfortably navigated nine minutes of stoppage time to secure the win.
“We create numerous set pieces, so that’s where we need to start. When teams adopt a low block and are hesitant to commit many players forward, set pieces provide us another opportunity to position our players as we want and exploit that,” Arteta explained after the match.
“We had opportunities to exploit it in various ways today. Ultimately, it was a set piece that won us the game, which is welcome. Notching up another clean sheet is essential, but it’s crucial that every player remains committed and enjoys maintaining that defensive solidity as a foundation to compete against any opponent.”
While it’s premature to draw solid comparisons, Arsenal’s methodical victory stands in stark contrast to the way Manchester City’s Erling Haaland made his mark in their 2-0 win over Everton.
The Gunners could have won by a larger margin if Viktor Gyökeres hadn’t extended his goal drought to nine games for club and country. He squandered two excellent chances, one in each half: first, he was thwarted by a save from Bernd Leno, and second, he blasted over from close range.
While this may fall short of the confidence shown by Haaland, it’s perhaps unfair to compare a player still finding his footing in the league with one of the best strikers currently playing. Gyökeres previously netted 97 goals in 102 matches for Sporting Lisbon, and getting back to that form would certainly enhance Arsenal’s output, especially since they continue to create chances, even when not at their peak.
“[Gyökeres] came close again today on two or three occasions,” said Arteta. “We were all hoping for him to score. The effort he gives for the team is incredible, and we aim to support him so that his goals will come.”
With captain Martin Odegaard sidelined for several weeks due to a knee injury, Eberechi Eze struggled to assert his influence on the match. Instead, Arsenal’s main attacking threat in the first half came from Riccardo Calafiori, who had an impressive goal disallowed for offside in the 16th minute.
Fulham disrupted Arsenal with their high pressing, although Gabriel Magalhães seemed unsettled after his long journey back from Japan following international duty with Brazil, and although Fulham threatened early on, they failed to force goalkeeper Raya into a serious save. Arsenal’s play was lacking until the second half, where Bukayo Saka took charge, but it was another set piece that proved decisive. Gabriel glanced Saka’s corner to the far post, allowing Trossard to finish it off.
“We’re frustrated because we believed we had planned well for that moment, but these are the types of matches where maintaining focus for the full 95 minutes is crucial,” said Fulham manager Marco Silva. “We should have done better with the far post situation [involving Trossard].”
Arteta will understandably emphasize that the outcome validates the tactics, especially at a venue where they had previously struggled to secure victories. Now, Arsenal has garnered 19 or more points from their first eight league fixtures for the third time in four seasons. The last time they achieved such a start and went on to win the league was in 2003-04, and they have not lifted the trophy since.
This sets the stage for the challenges that lie ahead.