Craven Cottage under the lights set the stage for a tricky Premier League test. Fulham arrived with strong home form and little appetite for a shootout. Arsenal came hunting for points that keep title pace intact. The evening delivered a narrow 1-0 away win, the sort of result that stretches a lead at the top and tells you plenty about a contender’s habits.

Leandro Trossard settled it just before the hour, reacting at the back post after Gabriel glanced on Bukayo Saka’s corner. No drama from open play, no flood of goals, yet enough substance inside the numbers to explain why Arsenal left satisfied. Fulham registered nine shots but none on target; Arsenal produced sixteen attempts, five on frame, and a clear edge in expected goals at 1.9 to 0.7. The visitors owned the territory battle and authored another clean sheet. The margin was slim; the control was not.

Below are three lessons from a match that will not win beauty contests but will matter when tallies are counted.

Set-piece edge and territorial control carried the night

Arsenal did not slice Fulham open repeatedly in open play. They did not need to. The key platforms were field position and restarts. Several data points track the same story:

• Possession share: 62.8% to Arsenal.

• Field tilt: 72.1% toward Fulham’s end, reflecting where the ball lived.

• Final-third entries: Arsenal 71, Fulham 32.

• Shots on target: Arsenal 5, Fulham 0.

• xG: 1.9 to 0.7.

The winner came from a familiar script. Saka whipped an inswinging corner, Gabriel attacked the near post, the flick traveled across the six, and Trossard converted off his right knee. This is not a novelty act. Arsenal have stacked corner returns across seasons and lead the league in corner goals since the start of 2023-24 by a double-digit margin. Seven league goals from corners this campaign already underline a repeatable edge. The takeaway is simple: set-piece efficiency is not covering for weak play; it is part of the plan, baked into weekly points.

The territorial metrics explain why that plan keeps paying. Arsenal forced Fulham into long phases without sustained possession near David Raya. The running pressure and pitch-control data show long red stretches, particularly across the second and third quarters of the match, with the ball pinned closer to Bernd Leno’s area. Fulham’s best flurries came early, then the tilt and average-distance lines shifted steadily toward the home goal. When the visitors rack up corners and throw-ins high up the pitch, the probability of one delivery breaking the game rises. On this night, it did.

Pressing numbers sit in the middle rather than the extreme. Team PPDA for Arsenal was 18.3 across the match, not a high press for 90 minutes but plenty of squeeze when the moment required it, especially after the goal. Fulham’s PPDA at 22.8 reads like a block focused on denial of central lanes rather than aggressive hunting. The upshot: Arsenal climbed the pitch through sustained passing cycles and wide overloads, not sheer chaos. Territory first, reward from restarts second.

Forward look: this model travels. Away days with low shot volumes often swing on restarts and first contacts. Arsenal’s delivery, screens, and blocking movements are rehearsed; Gabriel, Saliba, and others attack zones with precision. That habit stacks points even when the first hour is cagey. If opponents continue to concede territory and corners, they will keep paying.

Saka’s all-court influence and Trossard’s timing outweighed finishing issues up front

The eye test matched the data: Bukayo Saka ran the game after the break. His ledger is loaded. He led the team in progressive passes (9), deep completions (10), and passes into the box (8). He topped the key-pass count with six and carried the highest goal-probability added from passing on the night. The pass maps and progressive charts show him as the primary conduit on the right, linking with Jurriën Timber and forcing repeated defensive rotations from Fulham’s block.

Two sequences capture the effect. Early in the second half he shredded two defenders on the byline and forced a scramble clearance off the line. Minutes later his corner created the goal through Gabriel’s glance. Later he drew the on-field award of a penalty that was overturned after a monitor review. Whether you agree with the decision or not, the pattern held: Saka kept manufacturing advantage states, either through delivery, carries, or fouls drawn.

Trossard’s night had two halves. Before the interval he misplaced a few touches and snatched at a chance at the near post. After the restart he timed his movements well, first getting on the end of an Eberechi Eze cross, then ghosting to the far stick for the winner. He finished with three shots worth 0.96 xG, the largest personal total on either side. Trossard’s knack for arriving in the right pocket is why he remains valuable when possession gets slow. He is rarely static, which matters in tight games.

Further down the list, Timber’s end-product quietly supplemented Saka’s work. The Dutchman supplied two key passes and strong progressive numbers from the right channel. On the left, Riccardo Calafiori produced two box entries and would have owned the highlight if his offside volley had counted. Declan Rice and Martín Zubimendi ran the distribution platform: 70 and 72 pass attempts respectively, both north of 93% completion, with 12 third-entry passes combined. William Saliba managed 86 passes at 94% with seven final-third entries and led the team in xG buildup, a sign of how often the first phases flowed through him.

The only missing piece was the center-forward finish. Viktor Gyökeres worked hard, combined well enough, and still walked off with a drought extended. The numbers say he found three shots worth 0.18 xG and one big late chance that rose over the bar. His off-ball occupation of center-backs helped occupy space for Saka and Trossard; his expected threat received value led the front line in the pass-network leaders. The movement is there; the touch in front of goal is still searching for rhythm. The next step for the attack is obvious: keep producing similar shot volumes and turn one of the striker’s two looks per match into a high-value finish.

From Fulham’s side, Harry Wilson created their best half-looks but nothing to force a save. The shot list shows early efforts wide and over, then a quiet final half hour once Arsenal held the edge. Bernd Leno kept the scoreline close with a sharp low save and a strong added-time stop, which says more about his shot-stopping than about Arsenal’s ruthlessness.

Forward look: with Martin Odegaard out, the load spreads. Saka’s elite creation should remain the hub, Timber’s underlaps and cut-backs are a steady supply line, and Trossard’s timing keeps a floor under chance quality. Gyökeres’ volume is healthy; repetition tends to correct variance. Keep feeding him.

Title-race habits: a deep defense, reliable structure, and points without fireworks

The broader takeaway sits beyond one corner routine. Arsenal are building a points engine that runs on two fuels: defensive control and structure that travels. The clean-sheet log and on-target suppression tell their own tale. Fulham managed zero shots on target. In the previous league match the opponent did the same. William Saliba and Gabriel again closed central space; Timber and Calafiori were disciplined on the weak side; Raya’s gloves stayed clean.

Touch distribution reinforces that theme. Arsenal’s back five and double pivot topped the touches list: Saliba 95, Rice 89, Zubimendi 82, Gabriel 77, Timber 70. This is not sterile recycling; it is controlled circulation that positions the team to win second balls and crush transitions before they start. The final third numbers then stack up over time. Seventy-one entries and twenty-five touches in Zone 14 point to presence in the springboard zones, even if the last ball lacked fluency in phases.

The macro picture across eight league matches is just as telling. Another win, an extended lead at the top, and a goals-against column that belongs to a champion. The running win-probability chart from this match shows a dramatic shift once the corner landed, then a steady climb toward full time. That is what a grown-up team looks like in difficult away fixtures: concede little, take what the match offers, and suffocate the final 30 minutes.

Squad depth played a role without stealing headlines. Eze’s fit with the structure is still developing, yet he supplied one clear chance to Trossard and a few threaded passes to Gyökeres. Gabriel Martinelli brought pace late and forced Leno into a stoppage-time save. Mikel Merino added control in the final third when introduced. No one player must carry everything during a stretch without Odegaard. The set-piece threat covers lean open-play spells, and a defensive block this reliable keeps the floor high.

What it means for the months ahead: opponents that sit low will continue to face two unkind truths. First, Arsenal’s patience rarely breaks, so transitions are scarce. Second, every conceded corner is a problem. Teams that press high will find a different headache; Saliba, Raya, and Rice are comfortable under pressure and can break lines or switch play toward Saka’s wing. There is still a ceiling to hit in open-play chance creation, but the baseline is already title-grade.

Conclusion

This match will not fill end-of-season montages. It should sit prominently in any planning meeting at London Colney. Arsenal secured a 1-0 on the road with numbers that point to control rather than luck: 62.8% possession, 71 final-third entries, a 1.9 to 0.7 xG gap, and zero shots on target conceded. The goal came from a phase where they are best in class. That is repeatable, and repetition wins leagues.

Three lessons stand out. The first is tactical: territory and restarts are deliberate pillars, not a crutch. The second centers on personnel: Saka is driving output across creation and progression, Trossard remains a clutch finisher at the far post, and Gyökeres only needs one clean strike to change the conversation. The third is strategic: this side now banks points in awkward games because the floor is so high. Defending is stable, the structure holds, and the squad provides enough tools to solve different game states.

Next steps write themselves. Keep the corner machine sharp. Feed Saka and Timber combinations on the right. Keep faith with Gyökeres through the reps. Maintain the territory advantage with the Rice-Zubimendi platform and Saliba’s low-error distribution. Champions rise on days like this, not just on showcase performances. Arsenal left west London with three points and a template that travels. The title race will not be decided in October, but habits formed now decide May.

EXTRA Time

Where Arsenal stand vs last season

The fixture tracker tells the story: Arsenal are correcting the results that hurt them a year ago. Through eight comparable fixtures, they’ve gained seven more points than last season.

• United (A): draw → win (+2)

• Leeds (H): win → win (0)

• Liverpool (A): draw → loss (−1)

• Forest (H): win → win (0)

• City (H): win → draw (−2)

• Newcastle (A): loss → win (+3)

• West Ham (H): loss → win (+3)

• Fulham (A): draw → win (+2)

That +7 swing reflects growth in matches Arsenal once failed to close. Away at Newcastle and Fulham, home to West Ham, games that stalled momentum last year are now wins. Control and composure, not fireworks, are the difference.

Across these fixtures, Arsenal’s averages are steady: over 60% possession, an xG edge above 1.0, and the fewest shots on target conceded in the league. The margins that cost points in 2024–25 are now going their way. The next four matches (Palace, Burnley, Sunderland, Spurs) offer a chance to build that gap further before the schedule tightens.

Set pieces as evolution, not dependency

The claim that Arsenal rely on set pieces misses the point. Corners and restarts are the product of sustained pressure, not a replacement for open play. When teams defend deep, the natural result is more blocked shots and deflections—more corners. Arsenal recognized that years ago and invested in making those moments decisive.

Since 2023, no Premier League side has scored more from corners. Against Fulham, it was another example: 72% field tilt, 71 final-third entries, and seven corners before the breakthrough arrived. That’s not dependence, it’s efficiency.

Mikel Arteta’s staff treat set pieces as an extension of their positional play: Saka and Rice’s deliveries, Gabriel’s movement, rehearsed blocking runs, and rebound structure all flow from control of territory. Arsenal still lead the league in possession and pressing metrics; their set-piece strength just converts pressure into points.

In an era where low blocks and duels dominate, this is adaptation, not compromise. Arsenal didn’t abandon possession-style structure, they weaponized it for a league where every top team faces packed boxes and limited space. Corners are not a Plan B; they are the inevitable byproduct of a team that spends most of its time 20 yards from goal.