Hitting Nottingham Forest for three and West Ham United and Sporting Lisbon for five was not a precursor for a similarly ruthless attacking display against Man United, whose rigid defensive structure frustrated Arsenal throughout the first half of their Emirates encounter.
However, Ruben Amorim quickly became the latest in a long line of managers to succumb to Arsenal’s set-piece proficiency, as Jurrien Timber‘s header and William Saliba‘s unorthodox backside finish from corners propelled the Gunners to the win that their dominance merited.
As celebrated set-piece coach Nicolas Jover laps up the plaudits again, head coach Arteta seeks to mastermind a fifth straight win in all competitions for his resurrected outfit, who have now cut the gap to leaders Liverpool down to seven points thanks to the Reds’ slip-up at Newcastle United.
Chelsea putting five past Southampton means that Arsenal have dropped to the bronze medal position in the Premier League table, but the visitors’ affinity for all-capital clashes is well-documented, having won seven of their last eight Premier League London derbies.
A result that ended up proving fatal in their pursuit of title glory, Arsenal went down 2-1 to Fulham on New Year’s Eve 2023, a few months on from also being held to just the one point at home to Marco Silva‘s troops, who have since been reinforced by a few erstwhile Emirates men.
One of those Hale End graduates – Alex Iwobi – sparkled under the Thursday night lights when Brighton paid a visit to the capital, registering twice either side of a Matt O’Riley own goal to ensure that Carlos Baleba‘s effort and acrobatic celebration would count for nought.
By harming Brighton’s bid for Europa League or Conference League football, the Cottagers have significantly aided their chances of continental qualification as they reside in sixth place in the standings, just one point below the Seagulls and four adrift of Manchester City in the final Champions League spot.
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Terrorising backlines for fun all season long, Fulham have found the back of the net in each of their last 15 matches in all competitions since drawing a blank at Manchester United on the opening day, although they are also still waiting for their first home clean sheet of the campaign.
Much like Arsenal, though, Silva’s side have also flexed their muscles in London derbies, going unbeaten in their last eight Premier League games against capital counterparts. Not since 2001 have they enjoyed a longer streak without defeat in such derby matches, but that nine-game sequence was appropriately ended in a 3-1 reverse to Arsenal at Craven Cottage.
