A Steve Sidwell red card in the twelfth minute meant Fulham would have to play the majority of the game with ten men and Arsenal were expected to go on and comfortably win the game.
However, the Cottagers proved tricky opposition when down to ten men and only a set-piece at the end of the first half, when Mertesacker headed in from close range, meant that the Gunners would leave Craven Cottage with all three points in the bag.
Fulham created very few opportunities and could have taken the lead, but Berbatov could only see Szczesny parry his shot away. They had the ball in the back of the net in the 75th minute, only to see the assistant raise his flag for offside.
After managing a timid 0-0 draw against Everton in midweek, Arsenal really needed a win to boost their chances of finishing in the top four. And they delivered in untypical Arsenal fashion, scrapping to a narrow win over the Cottagers.
Wenger was naturally delighted with his side’s resilience and also admitted that they were lucky to come away with the three points, praising Fulham’s defence. According to Sky Sports, he said, “Of course for us after the draw against Everton it was important to take the three points.”
“It was a positive first half, but for some reason, and I don’t know why, our game in the second-half deteriorated and our passing became sloppy. We played with less pace in our game and you have to give them credit – they are a good side and they tried like mad. They played very well today.”
He also admitted that their resolute defending meant the Gunners could create very little of their own, and even their goal came from a set-piece. He added, “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.”
Arsenal also suffered a sending off, with Giroud receiving a red card late in the second half. This means that the Frenchman will be out of the next three fixtures, with Arsenal facing a tough fight to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Wenger said, “Unfortunately yes we have to find a solution up front for the final games, but that can happen and we have to deal with it.”
The striker’s absence means that Arsenal will be short up front for the remaining fixtures and players like Gervinho, Walcott and Podolski will really have to step up and deliver if Arsenal are to surpass their London rivals Chelsea and Spurs.