With Manchester City ramping up the title pressure earlier in the day, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal responded in kind, reclaiming their place at the top of the Premier League with a hard-fought 1–0 win over Fulham in west London.

The hosts started brightly at Craven Cottage, with Tom Cairney and Harry Wilson both threatening early on. Arsenal thought they had taken the lead through Riccardo Calafiori’s thunderous left-footed strike, but the Italian’s effort was ruled out for offside after a brief VAR check.

Fulham continued to press, with Wilson flashing an effort wide and David Raya forced to tip over Josh King’s awkward cross-shot to keep the score level. The Gunners finished the half on the front foot, though, as Bernd Leno denied Viktor Gyökeres from a tight angle and Calafiori went close again with a speculative drive.

Marco Silva’s side were dealt a setback just before the interval when defender Joachim Andersen limped off injured, though the home side maintained their resilience into the second half. Wilson squandered another chance soon after the restart, volleying over from Alex Iwobi’s cross.

Arsenal eventually made the breakthrough through Leandro Trossard, continuing their reputation as set-piece specialists. Bukayo Saka’s corner was flicked on by Gabriel, allowing Trossard to pounce at the far post for the decisive goal.

The Belgian became Arsenal’s 10th different Premier League goalscorer this season (excluding own goals) — a testament to the team’s attacking depth.

There was a moment of controversy late on when referee Anthony Taylor awarded a penalty to Arsenal after Kevin’s challenge on Saka, but the decision was overturned following a VAR review.

Arteta’s men held firm in the closing stages to secure another crucial three points, extending their impressive away record to just one defeat in their last 18 Premier League trips (W10, D7).

The result sends a clear message to reigning champions Liverpool, who can close the gap to a single point with a win over Manchester United tomorrow.

For Fulham, the defeat marks a third consecutive league loss — their first such run since December 2023 — leaving them 14th in the table and with just one win from their last 15 Premier League meetings with Arsenal (D4, L10).