Premier League

ARSENAL (Odegaard 64,  Gabriel 85)
FULHAM  (Mitrovic 56)

ARSENAL fans were in fully slurred voice as they made their way to the Emirates, merrily singing in the bank holiday weekend sunshine: “Saliba!”

With an in form striker and after a perfect start to the new season, there was an expectation of a comfortable victory over newly-promoted Fulham.

Instead an intense and rowdy atmosphere built inside the stadium as the Gunners battled toe-to-toe with a feisty Fulham side.

After a goal mouth scramble there was a nervous wait for the VAR  before Gabriel smashed winner past former teammate Bernd Leno was given the all clear.

It was atonement for the central defender whose catastrophic mistake led to Aleksander Mitrovic opened the scoring.

The Arsenal defender was caught dwelling on the ball and the Fulham striker robbed him, turned and struck firmly into the far corner.

Manager Mikel Arteta threw on Eddie Nketiah for Kieran Tierney before Martin Odegaard levelled with a deflected shot.

It was well deserved after a masterfully inventive performance from the Arsenal captain.

His passing, touch and composure was top level and the Gunners would have been totally lost without him today.

Minutes later, Mitrovic almost put Fulham ahead again with one of his trademark powerful headers.

Aaron Ramsdale, who pulled off a couple of crucial saves in the game, was equal to it.

The home side did not create many clear cut chances in the first half. When they did, the forwards were guilty of tame shooting.

With Arsenal chasing the game, Nketiah curled wide after being set free by another brilliant pass from Odegaard.

The Number 14 almost scored with a well struck first time shot but that went straight at lucky Leno.

Frustratingly, in another great chance he refused to shoot with his left foot, giving time for the defender to make a shot stopping tackle.

The Gunners started without left back Oleksandr Zinchenko and midfield general Thomas Partey.

But as is so often the case with the Arsenal, the problems came from a poor start.

The tone for the match was set by the first five minutes of relatively sluggish play when the passing was uncertain and disjointed.

Arteta’s game plan seemed similar to a tactic used by Manchester City so far this season.

Pep Guardiola had surprised West Ham in the first game of the season by forming a narrow midfield trio, with Rodri sitting ahead of a defensive two in an attacking five.

Arsenal are trying a similar approach with Granit Xhaka.

Arsenal host Stevie Gerrard’s Aston Villa on Wednesday night with a chance to make it five out of five wins in the Premier League.

Arsenal: Ramsdale, Tierney (Nketiah 60), White, Gabriel, Saka, Odegaard (Holding 95), Jesus (Tomiyasu 89), Martinelli, Saliba, Elneny, Xhaka.

Subs not used: Turner, Smith Rowe, Soares, Vieira, Lokonga, Marquinhos

Fulham: Leno, Tete (Mbabu 79), Abarabloyo, Reed, Kebano, Mitrovic, Ream (Stansfield 88), Cordova-Reid, Pereira (Diop 79), Palhinha (Chabolah 88), Robinson

Subs not used: Radak, Duffy, Cairney, Francios, Harris,