Arsenal moved back to the top of the Premier League with a gritty 1-0 win over Fulham.
A goal from Leandro Trossard – who Arsenal could sell in January – secured all three points after Gabriel Magalhaes crucially flicked a corner on to the Belgian.
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Arsenal managed to contain Fulham admirably, even preventing the Cottagers from taking a single shot on target. That was something West Ham also failed to do in their 2-0 loss at the Emirates Stadium before the international break, and Mikel Arteta has made history in the process.
Mikel Arteta oversees Premier League title omen which should excite Arsenal fans
Not since November of the 2003/04 campaign have Arsenal managed to stop an opponent from having a shot on target in two consecutive Premier League games – according to Opta.
Spookily, the second game of that run also came against Fulham.
That is a sensational achievement.
West Ham and Fulham can both boast talented attackers in the form of Jarrod Bowen, Raul Jimenez and Kevin – who are no strangers to shooting from distance either – so the mere fact David Raya has not dealt with a single effort in both of those wins is hard to fathom.
Interestingly, that 2003/04 campaign was also the last time Arsenal won the Premier League, so this remarkable solidity in defence could well push the Gunners towards the title this term if Arteta can maintain it.
Marco Silva was spot on about Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba
Speaking in his press conference ahead of this London derby on Friday, Marco Silva hailed William Saliba and Gabriel – labelling the pair as two of the best players on the planet.
The Fulham boss said: “They have improved their depth. They are a very, very strong squad. It’s not a surprise to see how solid they are, they have one of the best centre-back partnerships in the Premier League and Europe.”
Arsenal players celebrate after scoring against Fulham in the Premier League
Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Silva was proven right in his assessment, with Gabriel once again making a vital contribution from a corner – his 20th goal involvement in 168 Premier League games for Arsenal – whereas Saliba was also imperious, making three clearances, five ball recoveries and one block.
Goals win games but a defence wins titles – and Arsenal have enough strength in both of these areas to do something very special this season.