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Arsenal secured a dominant 3-0 win against Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday, March 12 with a stunning first-half display.
The Gunners entered this London derby on the back of four wins and one draw in their last five games across competitions. They were held to a 2-2 draw by Sporting CP in their last game, which was a highly-entertaining affair.
Mikel Arteta's side were boosted by returns from injury for Leandro Trossard, who started the game, and Gabriel Jesus, who was fit to make the bench after an absence of nearly three months. The Spaniard named a strong lineup for this game.
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Both Fulham and Arsenal made decent starts to the game as it was played at a fairly fast pace in the opening exchanges. Antonee Robinson seemed to hand the visitors an ideal start as he scored an own goal in the 17th minute. However, VAR ruled the goal out for offside. Leandro Trossard then provided an assist for Gabriel Magalhaes from a corner as the Gunners led 1-0 after 21 minutes.
Trossard provided another assist just five minutes later, setting up Gabriel Martinelli, who tucked in his header at the far post to make it 2-0. The Gunners attempted seven shots in the second period, hitting the target five times. They kept the ball for 54% of the period. Martin Odegaard capped off the perfect half for Arsenal as he scored late in the half to make it 3-0.
The visitors led 3-0 at the break.
The second half saw Arsenal change their approach from all-out attack to conserving and maintaining shape. Players were seldom pushed out of position and showed great restraint as they did not force any attacks in the second period. Despite dominating possession, the Gunners registered just two shots on target in the second half.
Their defensive focus prevented Fulham from attacking as well, as their midfielders and defenders did well to thwart any of the hosts' advances. Marco Silva's men attempted 10 shots in the second period and hit the target twice but failed to test Aaron Ramsdale. Arsenal walked away with all three points as they held on to secure a 3-0 win.
On that note, let's take a look at their player ratings.
Arsenal Player Ratings
Aaron Ramsdale - 7/10
Ramsdale was solid for the Gunners between the sticks as he made two saves and punched the ball clear on three occasions.
Benjamin White - 6.5/10
White put in a composed performance at right-back and distributed the ball well. He passed the ball with 89% accuracy, including one key pass, one cross and two long balls.
William Saliba - 7.5/10
Saliba was solid at the back and also ventured forward during the Gunners' set-piece routines. He won five duels, making seven clearances, four tackles, two blocks and one interception. He also played one long ball and completed one dribble.
Gabriel Magalhaes - 8/10
Gabriel was a towering presence on both ends of the pitch for Arsenal and scored the first goal of the game after 21 minutes with a header. He won six duels, making two tackles, two clearances and one block. Gabriel also played three long balls.
Oleksandr Zinchenko - 6.5/10
Zinchenko was sharp on the left flank and played well. He passed the ball with 94% accuracy, including one key pass and four long balls. He also made one interception and one clearance.
Martin Odegaard - 7.5/10
Odegaard made lovely runs in and around the box and scored late in the first half to make it 3-0. He won five duels, making two tackles in the process. He played two key passes, two long balls and completed two dribbles. The Norwegian was booked for a foul in the second half.
Thomas Partey - 7.5/10
Partey put in an encouraging performance at the heart of Arsenal's midfield. He won eight duels, making two tackles, two interceptions and two clearances. He also passed the ball with 95% accuracy.
Granit Xhaka - 6.5/10
Xhaka played well in midfield and passed the ball well with 92% accuracy, including one key pass and three long balls. He won three duels, making one tackle and one clearance in the process.
Bukayo Saka - 6.5/10
Saka had a good game on the right flank as he often cut inside to create chances. He won six duels, making two tackles and one clearance. Saka also played one key pass, one cross and one long ball.
Leandro Trossard - 8.5/10
Trossard enjoyed an incredible first half as he provided three assists in 45 minutes, becoming the first player in league history to do so in an away game. He also won two duels and attempted two shots, hitting the target once.
Gabriel Martinelli - 7/10
Martinelli looked sharp inside Fulham's 18-yard box and scored a nice header to make it 2-0 after 26 minutes. He won four duels, played two long balls and attempted four shots, hitting the target twice.
Substitutes
Reiss Nelson - 6.5/10
Nelson replaced Saka in the second half and played well.
Kieran Tierney - 6.5/10
Tierney came on in the second period and helped Arsenal see out the remainder of the time.
Gabriel Jesus - 6.5/10
Jesus made his long-awaited return from injury and looked sharp.
Fabio Vieira - 6/10
Vieira replaced Martinelli in the final 15 minutes and put in a decent shift.
Takehiro Tomiyasu - 6/10
Tomiyasu replaced White late in the game and played well.
