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Trossard edges Arsenal past Fulham to keep Gunners top
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Belgian’s first goal of the season from another Gunners set-piece secures 1-0 victory in west London
Leandro Trossard’s first Premier League goal of the season proved decisive as Arsenal returned to the top of the table with a 1-0 win at Fulham.
Having been displaced by Manchester City after their 2-0 defeat of Everton earlier on Saturday, the Gunners responded to move three points clear at the top.
Riccardo Calafiori had a sensational strike ruled out for offside in a low-key first half, but Trossard broke the deadlock in the 58th minute following a typically well-worked corner routine.
Bukayo Saka thought he had won Arsenal a penalty after tussling with Kevin inside Fulham’s box, but that decision was overturned following a VAR review, although the Gunners held on to their lead with relative comfort.
While Arsenal will sit pretty at the top for at least another week, even if Liverpool beat Manchester United on Sunday, Fulham are in 14th after a third straight defeat.
Mikel Arteta’s team had the ball in the back of the net in the 18th minute when Calafiori swept a curling effort into the top-right corner, but it was ruled out for offside.
Harry Wilson then fired narrowly wide after collecting Alex Iwobi’s drilled pass before Josh King almost caught David Raya out, with the visiting goalkeeper forced to tip a cross-shot over the bar.
A quiet performance from Viktor Gyokeres almost sparked into life after he was fed by Saka, but the Swede’s right-footed shot from a tight angle was blocked by Bernd Leno.
Arsenal’s persistence eventually paid off just before the hour mark when Saka’s inviting corner was flicked on by Gabriel Magalhaes for Trossard to turn home.
Saka’s overturned spot-kick was the closest either side came until the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time, but Leno was on hand to deny Gyokeres and Gabriel Martinelli in quick succession.
Fulham certainly made Arsenal work for this victory, though Marco Silva’s team are in worrying form, and sit only three points above the bottom three – even if the season is still young, that is not a sight the Portuguese boss will be content with.
Matters might have been different if not for Raya, who made an early stop from Raul Jimenez before talented teenager King saw a shot towards goal headed over by Declan Rice.
Fulham continued to look the more threatening in the first half as Wilson and King came close, and there was little for Arsenal to write home about in the opening period, that disallowed Calafiori finish aside.
However, Fulham’s cause was not helped by the loss of Joachim Andersen to injury, and the defender’s absence in the area was perhaps pivotal as Trossard capitalised from a set-piece.
Fulham had their chances, though, with Wilson firing two shots over in quick succession, but their attempts at trying to break down the division’s sternest defence proved ineffective.
Silva’s side will try to get back to winning ways next Saturday, but face another tricky test away at Newcastle United.
Arteta and Arsenal knew the importance of all three points against a side they have often struggled against in recent seasons, though they could not get going from an attacking perspective before the break.
Arsenal’s most positive outlet during the first half came down their left between Trossard and Calafiori, who, as well as being denied by the offside flag, also struck a fierce volley over Leno’s crossbar six minutes before the break.
Gyokeres also came close, with Rice ending the first 45 minutes with a curling effort that narrowly evaded the left-hand post from just outside the box, but the Gunners were far from their attacking peak.
But as has often been the case under Arteta, Arsenal’s reliable weapon in their armoury – their set-pieces – came up trumps again. They have now scored 37 goals from corners in the Premier League since the start of the 2023/24 season, at least 16 more than any other team.
From there, the Gunners’ strong defence was able to navigate the remainder of the contest, doing what Fulham had done to them in the first half, with this result sending a message to their title rivals.
Arsenal return to UEFA Champions League action on Tuesday as they welcome Atletico Madrid to Emirates Stadium, before they host Crystal Palace in the league next weekend.
Alexander Isak struck twice inside the opening nine minutes as Liverpool secured their first English Premier League victory of the season with a 2-0 win over Ipswich Town on Friday.
The Swedish forward put the visitors in control almost immediately, ending a tense opening spell with two clinical finishes that gave Liverpool a comfortable cushion before the hosts could settle.
Liverpool needed only six minutes to break the deadlock. Cody Gakpo created the opportunity with his effort forcing a save, but Isak reacted quickest to the rebound and fired home.
Three minutes later, Gakpo again turned provider, picking out Isak on the left. The striker made no mistake, sending a low effort into the bottom corner to double Liverpool’s advantage.
The two goals took Isak’s season tally to three in as many league appearances, already matching the number he managed throughout the whole of the previous campaign.
With the visitors firmly in command, Ipswich struggled to create clear-cut opportunities, while Liverpool concentrated on protecting their advantage after the interval.
The Reds appeared to have earned a chance to extend their lead when they appealed for a penalty in the second half, but the decision was overturned after a VAR review found an offside in the build-up.
Ipswich pushed forward late in search of a way back into the contest, but Liverpool’s defence held firm and the hosts were unable to produce the finishing touch required to trouble the visitors.
The victory extended Liverpool’s unbeaten run at Portman Road to seven matches and delivered their first clean sheet of the campaign.
The result also gave coach Andoni Iraola his first clean sheet since taking charge during the summer.
Liverpool’s three points moved them into fifth position in the Premier League standings with five points from three matches.
An F-4 Phantom military aircraft crashed Saturday at a base outside Athens during an airshow, Greek news agency ANA reported.
The circumstances of the crash were unclear, as was the fate of the two pilots aboard, local media said.
The aircraft had just taken off when it suddenly lost altitude and crashed, said a journalist from public broadcaster ERT who was at the scene.
There was an explosion immediately after the crash, which happened before thousands of visitors watching the annual “Athens Flying Week”.
A fire service helicopter was dispatched to the scene to extinguish the blaze caused by the crash, ERT reported.
Defence Minister Nikos Dendias cancelled a trip to Thessaloniki’s International Fair to visit the scene of the accident.
Serena and Venus Williams electrified Arthur Ashe Stadium but fell to Chan Hao-ching and Maya Joint in three thrilling sets in their return to the US Open women’s doubles on Friday.
The superstar sisters, whose 14 Grand Slam doubles titles include two US Opens, rallied from a break down in the third set and led the deciding 10-point tiebreaker 5-0 but fell 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 7-6 (10/7).
Venus, 46, and Serena, 44, hadn’t played Grand Slam doubles since the 2022 US Open and last won a title together at Roland Garros in 2018.
They showed flashes of their brilliant best, Serena proving particularly dangerous patrolling the net but struggling with her serve.
After recovering from losing the first set to level the match in the second-set tiebreaker.
They belted no fewer than 20 winners in the set, holding serve throughout, and leveled the match when Joint smacked an overhead long to roars from the crowd.
Chan and Joint regrouped to seize a 4-2 lead in the third. The sisters rallied, but get to the finish line as Taiwan’s Chan and Joint fought back superbly to clinch the victory.
The 44-year-old had returned to major singles play as a Wimbledon wild card four years after “evolving away” from the game.
At the All-England club, she lost to Joint in a Centre Court clash that captured the imagination of both diehard and casual tennis fans.
Even that experience didn’t prepare Joint for the atmosphere on the cavernous Ashe Stadium.
The sisters received a thunderous ovation when they took court, all business in understated white outfits.
Every blistering volley and overhead smash from the Americans received raucous cheers, and when they sprinted to the lead in the decisive 10-point tiebreaker, the noise was deafening
“The atmosphere was surreal,” Joint said. “Being able to play against such legends of the game is super special.”
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