Mikel Arteta’s reaction to Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Fulham was of pride in his team’s resolve and a bit of relief after the Gunners navigated the tricky nature of returning from the international break.
Arsenal scored off a set piece as Leandro Trossard snapped home Gabriel Magalhaes’ header, and the Gunners overcame a physical challenge from Marco Silva’s Cottagers.
MORE — Fulham v Arsenal recap, video highlights
It wasn’t pretty and the little-picture pressure would’ve been evident as Manchester City moved atop the table on a tiebreaker prior to the game.
That’s no longer the status of the standings board, as Arteta’s Arsenal have a three-point lead on the field heading into Sunday of Week 8.
Mikel Arteta reaction — Arsenal boss speaks after Gunners slim win over Fulham
Thoughts on the game? “Really tough place to come, we’ve experienced it the last few years. We put a lot into it, and had some difficult transitions in the first half but we overcame that and established dominance.”
“The simplicity in certain aspects with the ball, especially giving it away. It takes time against that opponent, the longer it goes nil-nil because they’ve been together many years. We created some big, big chances though.
Good to see Leandro Trossard delivering? “We’ve had a lot of goal scorers early in the season, not just relying on one player to do the job. That’s a big strength for us. Another clean sheet, which is really good to see so very happy.”
How are you handling choosing between Martinelli and Trossard, and other attacking options: “A joy because we want to be better as a team, to have players with that mindset. I can name so many. Christian, we ask him to play the last five minutes and he plays the best five minutes he can. That’s what we need and I’m very happy with that.”
Thoughts on the overturned penalty? “The only thing is, is it clear and obvious if it takes that long? I’ve just been told it wasn’t a penalty but I was surprised with how long the process took. They explained the reason why, so let’s move on.”
