Fulham 1-5 Arsenal
Arsenal made it nine wins on the trot and gave their fans a lovely day out at Craven Cottage as they hammered Fulham 1-5.
Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang bagged a brace each while Aaron Ramsey scored the goal of the match as the Gunners ran riot.
The result took Arsenal up to third in the Premier League table and just a point behind the top. But with Manchester City playing Liverpool later, that gap was about to extend. No matter, this was the kind of performance to get the long suffering Arsenal fans believing again and the Premier league 2018 betting odds reacting to Unai Emery’s North London revolution.
Emery is ready to test his squad to the full, naming a strong side for the 5,000 mile round trip to Qarabag in Azerbaijan last Thursday, and they came back in great shape. But for Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic this was yet more evidence that his side can’t survive on attractive football alone.
Highlights of the game
An injury to Petr Cech meant a first league appearance for new signing Leno in goal and he proved his worth to the Gunners as early as the third minute, when he rescued his defence after some sloppy play. Hector Bellerin played a terrible back-pass which Luciano Vietto gratefully accepted and when his shot took a deflection the Arsenal keeper did well to save.
Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic has started this Premier league season in fine form, netting five goals already and is Fulham’s most potent weapon. And as the hosts continued their bright start he got on the end of a chip from Jean Seri and hit his volley instinctively but it sailed over the bar.
Alex Iwobi was rewarded with a start after his brilliant substitute appearance against Watford last week he did well down the left flank, finding Danny Welbeck who sent a dangerous ball into the box but Lacazette had the ball taken of his toes by Tim Ream.
Gunners fans will be delighted to see Lacazette continue his early season sharpness and he was the man to break the deadlock. Iwobi again found space down the left and he passed to Nacho Monreal who found Lacazette with his back to goal, but he turned brilliantly to fire low into the corner.
As Arsenal looked to take control, Henrikh Mykhitaryan came close twice but the Cottagers hit their visitors with a sucker punch a minute before half time. Vietto made the most of more untidy defence from Arsenal to slide a ball through to Andre Schurrle, and the loan man chipped a delightful shot over the advancing Leno and into the net.
That setback prompted the Gunners to come out firing after the break and Fulham keeper Marcus Bettinelli made a brilliant save to stop a Bellerin pile-driver, but he didn’t react as well when Lacazette fired a low shot in from 25 yards and this time the ball settled in the corner of the net.
Then, on 67 minutes, Aaron Ramsey started and finished a glorious move, seconds after coming on as substitute. He played a one-two with Lacazette before passing to Mykhitaryan and then on to Aubameyang and he crossed for Ramsay to cheekily backheel into the net. That was vintage Arsenal!
The Gunners were rampant now and Aubameyang got in on the act on 79 minutes
taking a touch from a Bellerin cross before turning and shooting past Bettinelli.
And the Gabonese hit man made it five at the death finishing another clinical Arsenal move.
Job done for Emery, and he could now keep up with the Premier League 2018 updates as Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City all got ready for their Sunday clashes…while he put his feet up.
Key statistics
So that’s nine games and nine wins for Arsenal as they start to look like real contenders. The SBOBET odds on an Arsenal win were at 1.64, and after an evenly matched first half that looked about right.
But in the second half Arsenal simply blew Fulham away. And it’s time for the Cottagers to think about their survival plans. They have earned just two points in the last five games and have conceded 21 goals, four more than any other team in the league.
Fulham is the only team not to have kept a clean sheet this season.
What’s next?
The international break has probably come at a better time for Arsenal than Fulham in many ways. While the Gunners have built up a head of steam, it’s great to go into a break with a win, while the Cottagers have two weeks to mull on their problems.
The Gunners entertain mid-table Leicester City on their return, and that should be another win for Emery’s men to make it ten, though the Foxes can always spring a surprise.
Meanwhile, Slavisa Jokanovic takes his beleaguered team to South Wales to take on fellow new boys Cardiff City and that’s a huge game already. The Bluebirds are rock bottom but were only narrowly beaten 1-0 by Spurs yesterday and were unlucky to lose to Burnley last time at home.
It will be a clash of styles with Neil Warnock’s side relying on long throws and set pieces, while Jokanovic is unlikely to abandon his principles any time soon. He won’t find it easy though.
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