Arsenal defeated Fulham 3-0 at Craven Cottage on Sunday afternoon to maintain their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League. And Arsenal’s January addition Leandro Trossard led the attack, registering three first-half assists in a stunning performance.
The Belgian, who started as the central striker, tortured the Fulham defence in the first 45 minutes, continually switching places with Gabriel Martinelli and scoring all three goals from the left flank. Read out the complete details about Arsenal winning 3-0 at Craven Cottage to preserve their five-point lead in the Premier League down below with us.
Arsenal won 3-0 at Craven Cottage to preserve their five-point lead in the Premier League
The positional adjustments observed during Arsenal’s assaults, which were frequently witnessed through the likes of Oleksandr Zinchenko and Granit Xhaka during the build-up, consistently caused problems for the Fulham defence, opening the game up for Arsenal’s forwards to take full advantage of.
Gabriel opened the scoring with a header from a Trossard corner, and the game underlined his growth since the opposite fixture against Fulham in August when his error allowed the Cottagers a goal at the Emirates.
Gabriel was prone to making costly blunders in the early half of the season, but after his withdrawal from Brazil’s World Cup squad, the defender has been a rock at the back, commanding the defence as a steady force.
Sunday’s game was also a good day for his Brazilian rival, Gabriel Jesus, who returned from injury for the first time since the World Cup, making a brief appearance at the end. Jesus’ return gives Arsenal a major boost for the next 11 league games and the Europa League campaign, bringing much-needed depth and quality to the squad.
His intensity and close control were immediately noticeable, and his return will allow Mikel Arteta to rotate his frontline and relieve some of the pressure on Bukayo Saka. The Gunners, who also had Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard score at Fulham, have now won five league games in a row since losing to championship rivals Manchester City last month, regaining their stride just before their number nine returns.
Arsenal host Sporting Lisbon in the Europa League last-16 second leg at the Emirates on Thursday, with the draw tied at 2-2, before hosting Patrick Vieira’s Crystal Palace on Sunday (2 pm) before the international break.
