Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta hailed his team’s maturity in their 1-0 win at Fulham and their ability to claim a result at a ground where they had failed in the past two seasons as his team returned to the top of the table thanks to another set-piece goal.
Arteta’s team had been knocked off top spot by Manchester City, after they had beaten Everton 2-0, but have guaranteed themselves to be No 1 at the end of the Matchweek no matter if Liverpool beat Manchester United tomorrow.
"It is a really tough place to come, a really organised team and a really good manager who knows how to set up," Arteta told BBC Radio 5 Live. "When the context is 0-0 and the game gets longer and longer it becomes more difficult, but we showed a lot of maturity."
The winner in the 58th minute from Leandro Trossard came from a corner, the 10th goal they have scored from a set-piece this season from a total of 15.
"We kept knocking on the door in various ways and in the end we find a way with the set-piece to do it but we deserved it in the end," Arteta said, adding praise for his defence, who for the second match running prevented their opponents from having a shot on target.
The last time the Gunners went back-to-back matches without conceding a shot on target was in 2003/04, when they claimed their last Premier League title.
"I don't think we conceded a shot on target, which tells you again how well we were organised," Arteta added.
"We had a spell in the first 10-15 minutes where we had a few giveaways and transitions and momentum to them without them really doing much. We have to keep going now. We have another big one on Tuesday [at home to Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League], they are coming thick and fast."
Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka highlighted that Arsenal’s current run of three league wins, away to Newcastle United, at home to West Ham United and at Fulham, were matches where last season Arsenal struggled when finishing runners-up to Liverpool, claiming only one point in total.
"This season we beat Newcastle, who we struggled against away in the past, so it is points that in recent seasons we haven't been picking up, so we are happy with this result," he told Sky Sports.
"It was a tough start to the game but in my mind I want to get the ball and make things happen. I think I had a good performance which I am happy with."
As to Arsenal’s set-piece record, this being their seventh goal from a corner this season and their 63rd since 2021/22, 16 more than the next-best team, Saka cited the hard work that has made it happen.
"It is quite clear we are quite good at it," he said. "We have high standards for ourselves."