18 October 2025
“Arsenal kept their composure on the banks of the Thames, edging a tight derby through a well-worked set piece and resolute game-management down the stretch.”
Arsenal ground out a 1–0 away win at Craven Cottage, decided by Leandro Trossard’s second-half finish. After a cautious first period, Mikel Arteta’s side raised the tempo and struck from a corner routine, then managed territory and time with authority to see out the points. The contest largely mirrored the pre-match framing: a midfield chess match headlined by Declan Rice vs João Palhinha and key 1v1s down Arsenal’s right (Bukayo Saka vs Antonee Robinson) areas that ultimately tilted the balance toward the visitors.
The opening 45 minutes unfolded to script: Arsenal controlled field position without carving many clean looks, while Fulham sat compact and sought quick breaks into the channels. Bernd Leno’s handling was tidy, and Fulham’s back line held a disciplined shape, forcing Arsenal to recycle possession and probe patiently. Arsenal’s best moments came from right-side overloads and late midfield runs, but Fulham’s last-ditch positioning kept the box crowded at crucial moments.
Arsenal accelerated after the restart, and the breakthrough arrived near the hour. A Saka corner drew Fulham’s line deep; the second phase was recycled to the far post, where Trossard arrived unmarked to guide in the decisive strike (~58’). Fulham responded with fresh legs and a higher press, but Arsenal’s rest-defence smothered transitions and limited the hosts to half-chances from wide areas. When space appeared for counters, the visitors were selective, turning promising breaks into time-management opportunities rather than trading punches.
Arsenal: With Ødegaard unavailable pre-match, Arsenal expected to lean more on width, quick circulation, and late entries from midfield, exactly how the winner emerged. The visitors continually drew set pieces down the right, where Saka’s service and two-v-one rotations with the overlapping full-back stretched Fulham’s block. Once ahead, Arteta’s team shifted into a textbook game-state mode: compact spacing behind the ball, aggressive counter-press on second balls, and tempo control through short passing and smart fouls when needed.
Fulham: Marco Silva’s side executed their plan well for long stretches, two narrow banks screening central lanes, Palhinha disrupting rhythm, and quick outlets toward the corners. The limitation was end-product: entries were often forced wide, and Arsenal’s centre-backs dominated the air and the penalty-spot zone. As Fulham pushed late, the visitors’ rest-defence closed lanes early, preventing the kind of sustained pressure that usually sparks a late equaliser.
The result nudges Arsenal closer to the summit after the international break and validates a pragmatic away-day blueprint: control the middle, win a set piece, manage the game state. With this done, Arsenal is getting ready for their Champions League fixture against Atlético Madrid on 22nd October. For fans interested in seeing it in person, book your tickets via 1BoxOffice because we ensure you have genuine tickets at a reasonable price.
For Fulham, the structure and fight were there, but the lack of clear-chance creation after falling behind proved costly, a recurring theme identified in the build-up and one that must be addressed to convert tight home games into points. Now, for Fulham, the team is looking to make up their points in the upcoming EPL fixture against Newcastle on 25th October. For fans interested in seeing it in person, book your tickets via 1BoxOffice, where we ensure you get genuine tickets at a reasonable price.
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