Fulham vs. Arsenal: Score, Grades and Post-Match Reaction

A first-half goal from Per Mertesacker allowed Arsenal to escape Craven Cottage with a much-needed 1-0 victory over Fulham.

After an uneventful first 10 minutes that saw very few scoring opportunities as both clubs were gauging the pace of the match, things quickly escalated. Fulham's Steve Sidwell was shown a straight red for a dangerous challenge on Mikel Arteta in the 12th minute.

From there, Arsenal began to control possession in the Cottagers' half. But it was actually Fulham who generated the match's first golden scoring chance on a quick counterattack. Dimitar Berbatov got off a good strike on the break, but Wojciech Szczesny was up to the task.

The Gunners finally generated their first legitimate chance of the match about 10 minutes shy of half-time. Olivier Giroud unleashed a low shot that beat Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer but struck the post.

A short time after Szczesny, made a save on an Urby Emanuelson effort to keep it scoreless.

Arsenal were finally able to get on the scoreboard courtesy of Mertesacker. A Theo Walcott free kick found Laurent Koscielny, who sent it across goal to Mertesacker and it was headed home.

That goal, which came in the 43rd minute, set the tone for the second half. The Gunners came out and were perfectly pleased to control possession, slowing down the pace in the process. Neither side generated more than a few fleeting moments of pressure until the final 15 minutes.

It appeared Fulham had leveled at one in the 77th minute when Stanislav Manolev slipped a rebound past Szczesny, but the offside flag had gone up to preserve Arsenal's narrow lead.

The Cottagers started to press forward in search of an equalizer and had the Arsenal defense on their heels for a while but couldn't break through. Then things got even more intense after Olivier Giroud was sent off in the 90th minute.

A couple corner kicks and four tense minutes later, however, Arsenal survived with three crucial points.

Grades

Dimitar Berbatov (Fulham): B

Berbatov, who entered the match as the only Fulham player with more than five goals in league play, was by far the club's most dangerous player throughout the match. On multiple occasions he was able to break away on counterattacks to create chances.

Ultimately, the quality of chances faded in the second half as Arsenal started to play a far more conservative style. Perhaps he could have done better with his first-break chance in the opening half, but without him Fulham would have had very little offensively.

Brede Hangeland (Fulham): B+

There was a lot of extra pressure on Hangeland after the red card to Sidwell. Not only was the captain forced to take on even more defensive duties than normal, but his back line was under constant pressure from Arsenal. He did a great job keeping everyone on the same page.

It had a trickle-down effect throughout the entire squad. Fulham could have easily crumbled after the early red card and allowed the Gunners to score a huge victory. Instead they kept it close throughout, and Hangeland's leadership is a major reason for that.

Theo Walcott (Arsenal): B

Walcott didn't take control of the match as much as you'd expect given the added space against 10-man Fulham. Give credit to the Cottagers for maintaining tight coverage of him. He rarely had the time and space necessary to utilize his pace despite the missing midfielder.

That said, he played a perfect ball into the box on the set piece that led to the Gunners' first goal. He dropped it perfectly over the defenders to Koscielny. After a couple promising runs in the second half, he was removed for Jack Wilshere with about 20 minutes left.

Wojciech Szczesny (Arsenal): A-

Szczesny wasn't called on often due to Arsenal's massive possession advantage, but when Fulham did get a break chance, he stepped up. He particularly deserves credit for a couple key stops in the first half before Arsenal grabbed the lead.

He commanded the box well in the final minutes of the match when Fulham really started to turn the heat up. It's exactly the type of performance the Gunners have been looking for from him all campaign, and they'll hope he can build on it moving forward.

What's Next?

Arsenal continue their quest for a Champions League spot next Sunday in a high-profile matchup with Premier League leaders Manchester United. It's followed by three winnable matches for the Gunners.

Fulham returns to the pitch one week from today against Everton, who are fighting for a European berth alongside Arsenal. It will be another match where the Cottagers will attempt to play the role of spoiler.