Arsenal moved provisionally back into third place in the Premier League table with a 1-0 win at 10-man Fulham on Saturday and are two points ahead of Chelsea, which has two games in hand. Arsenal strengthened its hopes of a Champions League spot after Per Mertesacker's header late in the first half secured the victory. Arsenal dominated possession throughout the game but the Gunners struggled to create any real chances. Arsenal, who started with England midfielder Jack Wilshere on the bench, were given a huge advantage in the 12th minute at Craven Cottage when Steve Sidwell was shown a straight red card for catching Mikel Arteta on the ankle with his studs.
Sidwell had only just returned from a three-match ban following a red card at home to QPR and Arsenal quickly asserted their advantage, with Olivier Giroud grazing the post in the 35th minute. Arsenal struggled to profit from their numerical advantage and Fulham restricted them to few openings. It was, in fact, the home side who created the first clear chance of the game, aided by Olivier Giroud giving the ball away on the edge of the home box in the 21st minute. Urby Emanuelson collected the ball and galloped forward before slipping a pass through to Dimitar Berbatov, whose shot from 16 yards was turned away by Wojciech Szczesny. Emmanuel went close himself in the 40th minute, dispossessing Nacho Monreal before letting fly from the edge of the area. Szczesny again pushed the shot away for a corner.
The breakthrough arrived for Arsenal from an unfamiliar source two minutes before half-time. Theo Walcott's free-kick was headed across goal by Laurent Koscielny and the Frenchman's centre-back partner Per Mertesacker arrived unmarked to head the ball home from close range. It should have been a straightforward victory, but the visitors were unable to kill the game, Fulham kept them at bay and, even came close to scoring an equalizer when Bryan Ruiz curled a free-kick over the bar before a cross from Stanislav Manolev in the 70th minute had Szczesny scrambling backwards to tip it over the bar.
Wenger withdrew Walcott (who was missing for larger part of the game) and Tomas Rosicky (who was Arsenal's best player on the pitch at the time) moments later, introducing Podolski and Jack Wilshere, but Arsenal could not find inspiration and Fulham continued to prove dangerous. Fulham thought they've got a deserved equaliser. In the 76th minute when Manolev slotted the ball into the net from close range after Szczesny parried another Ruiz free-kick but the sight of a rightly raised offside flag curtailed those celebrations at Craven Cottage.
Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud was later sent off for a similar lunge (as Sidwell's tackle on Arteta) in the 90th minute due to a red card after he clumsily fouled Stanislav Manolev. The decision to dismiss Giroud in the 90th minute was more debatable as replays showed the striker did not make contact with Manolev as he won the ball with his challenge. Victory lifted Arsenal above Chelsea, but both the Stamford Bridge club and fifth-place Tottenham Hotspur now have two games in hand on Arsene Wenger's side. Chelsea will regain third place if they win at Liverpool on Sunday, while Spurs can close to within two points of their north London rivals if they overcome second-place Manchester City. Arsenal welcomes Manchester United next at the Emirates.
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Stats & Facts
Arsenal have the best defence in the Premier League away from home having conceded just 14 goals.
There have been more red cards (8) in Premier League games involving Arsenal than any other team in the top flight this season.
Arsenal have been given five red cards in the Premier League this season; more than any other side.
Arsene Wenger SkySports Post Match Reaction
"It became hard, and in the second-half especially I think we played with a hand-brake.
"We just wanted to keep the lead without taking any risk and had not enough penetration. When a team is down to ten men they focus on defending deep and they defended well. We did not give them enough problems today."
Arsene Wenger SkySports Post Match Reaction
"It became hard, and in the second-half especially I think we played with a hand-brake.
"We just wanted to keep the lead without taking any risk and had not enough penetration. When a team is down to ten men they focus on defending deep and they defended well. We did not give them enough problems today."
Martin Jol Match Reaction
"I really thought we did very well and it is disappointing to play for 83-minutes with ten-men but I said to them in the dressing room we fought like lions and we could have had a result and a draw would have been deserved."
"I really thought we did very well and it is disappointing to play for 83-minutes with ten-men but I said to them in the dressing room we fought like lions and we could have had a result and a draw would have been deserved."
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