Corner kings grind it out: Trossard’s touch puts Arsenal three clear at the top

Arsenal leaned on their trademark corner craft to grind out a 1-0 win at Fulham and move three points clear at the top of the Premier League. In a game that rarely flowed, Leandro Trossard arrived at the back post on 58 minutes to bury Gabriel’s flick from Bukayo Saka’s delivery, sealing the kind of narrow victory that sustains title challenges.

It was mechanical more than magical, but it was enough – enough to avoid controversy after a penalty award for Saka was overturned by VAR, and enough to extend a run of clean sheets for a defence that looks increasingly unyielding. Having dropped points on their previous two trips to Craven Cottage, Mikel Arteta’s side rewrote the script.

Set-piece supremacy, again

The decisive moment was emblematic of Arsenal’s evolution under Arteta: relentless detail at dead‑balls. Saka’s corner, Gabriel’s glance, Trossard’s finish – a routine honed and repeated. It was Arsenal’s 50th league goal from a corner since the start of 2022/23, far more than any other Premier League team in that span.

Open‑play fluency was in short supply, but the patterns were persistent. Arsenal repeatedly targeted Saka’s flank, forcing errors and field position until Fulham cracked. Bernd Leno fended off Saka and later thwarted Viktor Gyökeres, who also blazed over as his barren spell stretched to nine games, yet the visitors’ control of territory never really loosened after the break.

Saka’s surge down the right

Back in full flow after injury, Saka was the game’s sharpest blade. He won 14 duels, created six chances and had 13 touches in the box, with almost every Arsenal attack coursing through him. He admitted he started with a few "rubbish corners" but he kept delivering – and the winner came from one that mattered most.

When Saka burst into the area and tangled with Kevin, Anthony Taylor initially awarded a penalty. The referee rightly reversed the call after seeing the Fulham substitute get a touch on the ball as the pair bumped knees. No matter: Saka had already tilted the contest decisively, and his set‑piece delivery had provided the only opening Arsenal truly required.

Steel behind the minimalism

If the margin remained slender, the control behind it was emphatic. Fulham did not register a shot on target as William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães patrolled the middle and Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber were unflinching at full‑back. It was a fifth clean sheet from eight league games; the foundation of a title tilt.

There was even time for a disallowed stunner when Calafiori’s strike was ruled offside after a neat exchange. Arteta will also note that David Raya has barely been called into serious action in recent weeks. This is a team comfortable winning ugly.

Gyökeres’ graft, Arteta’s trust

Gyökeres’ finishing touch continues to elude him, but his effort never dipped. He ran hard, muscled centre‑backs and fashioned chances through burly hold‑up play. "We were all begging for him to score," Arteta said, praising a work rate that served the collective as the visitors kept their foot on Fulham’s throat.

"The recent history wasn’t in our favour and we wanted to change that," Arteta added. "The first 10 to 15 minutes took us a while to get into the game... but the more it dragged on, we were better and better. If I have to describe the players, it’s tough and very, very willing." Saka echoed the mindset: "The mentality is simple – it’s win in any context."

The significance of small margins

The points matter more than the gloss. Arsenal tightened their grip on first place, three ahead of Manchester City and four clear of Liverpool, who host Manchester United on Sunday. Having learned to eke out results where they once stumbled, they look less like a soft touch and more like a side built for the long haul.

Fulham’s stubbornness and early thrust – including Harry Wilson’s openings and a lively spell from the gifted Josh King – tested Arsenal before the interval, but once the leaders ratcheted up the tempo and leaned on the set‑piece machine, the sense was of a game being managed to a conclusion.