Arsenal 2 - 1 Fulham

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Sunday Aug 12 2007 12:00

Arsenal staged a dramatic late fightback as they scored twice in the last six minutes to beat a brave Fulham side 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners trailed from the first minute and looked set to suffer a shock defeat until Robin van Persie's penalty and a last-gasp Alex Hleb strike completed a stirring comeback.

The late goals ensured Arsene Wenger's side repeated the trick they managed to perform at the Emirates Stadium so many times last term - conceding the first goal and coming back to win.

Arsenal could not have made a worse start to the match. Gael Clichy's pass back to Jens Lehmann appeared to be innocuous, but the German keeper slipped and David Healy nipped in to slide the ball home on his Cottagers debut.

When the Gunners hit back, Tomas Rosicky dragged a shot just wide after good play by van Persie and Hleb.Emmanuel Eboue then set up Hleb whose effort was blocked by Zat Knight as Arsenal slowly began to get into the game.

Fulham could not be written off though, and Simon Davies almost added a second for the visitors on the break midway through the first half.

The outstanding Tony Warner, who was a last-minute replacement for Antti Niemi, who was injured his wrist in the warm-up, then made a smart stop to turn Rosicky's low drive away for a corner as the Arsenal pressure mounted.

Fulham had penalty appeals turned down when Cesc Fabregas appeared to clip Steven Davies' heels before Warner another Hleb effort with his legs as Arsenal's frustrations grew.

In first-half stoppage time Fabregas was one-on-one with Warner but once again the keeper blocked the Spaniard's effort.

After the break van Perse's free-kick whistled just past the post and Rosicky was again denied by Warner, but for all Arsenal's possession they appeared to have run out of ideas as the match entered the final six minutes.

But Kolo Toure was then barged over by Carlos Bocanegra and van Persie slotted his penalty high past Warner and into the net.

Hleb then grabbed a stoppage-time winner, rifling a shot past Warner in dramatic scenes after being set up by Fabregas.

Live Commentary

  • 90
    Arsenal snatch a victory with two goals in the last ten minutes, finally breaking a resilient Fulham side who looked like they might just hang on.
  • 90
    Alexandre Song Bilong comes on for van Persie in the dieing seconds.
  • 90
    Fabregas unleashes Walcott down the right hand side and the English winger gets through on goal but can't convert the chance lofting the ball high over the bar.
  • 90
    Bouba Diop gets through the Arsenal defence and fires in a great looking shot forcing Lehmann into a great save, some what reprieving himself from his earlier mistake.
  • 89
    Hleb gives Arsenal a late lead after latching on to Fabregas pass, the midfielder turned Bocanegra before side-footing the ball past Warner.
  • 88
    Bendtner turns the Fulham defence well before unleashing a powerful shot towards goal but again Warner is there to make another great save.
  • 86
    Bendtner has a chance with a header but the Danish striker can't get enough power on it to beat Warner.
  • 82
    Flamini also goes into the book after getting a little too over exaggerated in his protests.
  • 82
    Papa Bouba Diop is booked for the same offence as Warner after runnig away with the ball.
  • 82
    Warner is booked after hloding onto the ball and not releasing it to restart the game.
  • 82
    Van Persie scores from the spot hammering it home high into the top right hand corner of the net.
  • 81
    Toure goes on a powerful run and gets into the penalty area where he is bowled over by Bocanegra and Phil Dowd points to the spot.
  • 77
    McBride picks out Dempsey inside the Arsenal penalty area and the American pokes it past Lehmann but see's his effort roll just wide of the goal.
  • 75
    van Persie tries a shot from the edge of the area but its a weak effort and Warner is able to gather with ease.
  • 74
    A goal mouth scramble presents Arsenal with a couple of chance, firstly Hleb forces Warner into another decent save before Walcott see's his effort blocked by a couple of white shirts.
  • 73
    Diomansy Kamara is booked after failing to retreat the full ten yards for an Arsenal freekick.
  • 71
    Again Fulham respond with a change of their own, bringing on Papa Bouba Diop for Alexei Smertin.
  • 71
    Arsenal making their second change with Nicklas Bendtner coming on for Tomas Rosicky.
  • 71
    Walcott shows his great pace getting away from Konchesky and whips in a cross but Knight is again in place to deal with the cross.
  • 68
    Fabregas delivers another corner but again it fails to find a red shirt, this time Warner punching the ball away.
  • 67
    Fabregas floats in another Arsenal corner but Fulham deal with it, Knight heading the ball away.
  • 65
    van Persie curls the ball around the wall and looks to have the beating of Warner but its just too high as another chance goes to waste.
  • 64
    Davis goes into the book after catching van Persie on the edge of the penalty area.
  • 61
    Fulham respond to Arsenal's change with Diomansy Kamara making his debut coming on for David Healy.
  • 61
    Arsenal make their first change of the game with Theo Walcott coming on for Emmanuel Eboue.
  • 60
    van Persie manages to knock the ball on for Rosicky who strikes it well but a deflection off Knight saves Fulham from conceding the equaliser.
  • 59
    van Persie tries to strike a free kick under the wall but makes a real mess of the shot as it bounces off the wall and away for a throw-in.
  • 57
    Carlos Bocanegra is booked after pulling down Hleb.
  • 54
    Davies finds McBride with the corner and the American pokes the ball onto Bocanegra but the defender can't convert the chance at the far post as Arsenal survive a scare.
  • 52
    Davis whips in a cross towards the far post but Lehmann reads the cross well to claim the ball with a good catch.
  • 49
    Rosicky slides another pass through the Fulham defence for van Persie who latches onto the ball but again Warner is quick off his line to block the Dutch striker and save the Cottagers again.
  • 47
    Davis has a golden chance at the other end of the pitch after a quck Fulham counter-attack caught Arsenal cold and left the Nothern Irish midfielder forced Lehmann into a brilliant save low down to his right.
  • 47
    Fabregas swings in a corner towards the far post but yet again Warner is there to grab the ball out of the air.
  • 45
    Fulham make their first change of the game with Hameur Bouazza being replaced by Clint Dempsey.
  • 45
    Flamini picks out Rosicky with a great long ball and the Czech midfielder takes the ball on before blasting it straight at Warner who saves well again.
  • 45
    Fulham get the second half underway hoping to maintain their lead and record their first ever victory at Arsenal.
  • 45
    Fulham go in at the break with the lead after Lehmann's gift but Arsenal began to turn the screw on the visitors as the half wore, Warner keeping the Gunners at bay.
  • 45
    Fabregas goes through the middle of the Fulham defence and goes one-on-one with Warner but again the goalkeeper denies Arsenal this time blocking Fabregas' shot well.
  • 45
    The fourth official indicates there will be two minutes of added on time.
  • 43
    Rosicky fires in a low cross towards Flamini who side-foots the ball towards goal, but the French midfielders effort is blocked by Knight as Fulham survive again.
  • 42
    Arsenal give the ball away again this time to Davies who knocks the ball on for Healy, who takes the shot on first time but only scoops the ball over the bar.
  • 39
    Hleb goes through on goal and forces Warner into a great save as the Fulham goalkeeper was forced to spread himself well to deny the Arsenal midfielder before getting up again to push van Persie's attempt wide of the goal.
  • 39
    Rosicky curls in another corner for Arsenal but its a poor one as Warner gathers easily at his near post.
  • 37
    Clichy gets into an advanced position again and tries to pick out van Persie with a cross but its easy for Knight to deal with.
  • 34
    Rosicky fires in a corner and finds Flamini's head but the French midfielder can only flick the ball over the bar as another chance goes begging.
  • 34
    Rosicky produces one of his trademark long drives, forcing Warner to get down low quickly to tip the ball behind the goal for an Arsenal corner.
  • 31
    Davies swings in another corner this time finding McBride who makes contact with the ball but can only head it up and over the bar.
  • 30
    Arsenal are looking nervous at the minute as another defensive mix-up nearly costs the Gunners again, neither Toure or Gallas failing to deal with a long ball into the box but fortunatly Lehmann was quick of his line to claim the ball.
  • 27
    Eboue knocks the ball into Van Persie on the edge of the area who flicks the ball up before striking it on the volley, but the Dutch striker can only send the ball high into the stand behind in the goal.
  • 25
    Davies takes the corner for Fulham, looping it into the penalty area for Carlos Bocanegra to attack but the defender can only flick the ball on for Lehmann to catch the ball with ease.
  • 25
    Some nice buil-up play from Fulham leads to Simon Davies having a shot which Lehmann is forced to beat away from goal.
  • 22
    Baird swings in a high freekick towards McBride inside the penalty area but Toure jumps well to clear the danger away from the Arsenal goal.
  • 21
    Clichy gets forward and delivers a nice cross towards the near post but Knight is there first to clear the ball on the volley.
  • 19
    Hleb goes down again inside the box after McBride puts in a tough but fair tackle to win the ball well.
  • 18
    Van Persie whips in Arsenal's first corner but McBride is back defending and the American striker heads the ball away from danger.
  • 17
    Finally Arsenal click into gear with Eboue and Sagna combining brilliantly before picking out Hleb with the low cross, the midfielder striking the ball well but Knight deflects the ball away from goal and behind for a corner.
  • 16
    Arsenal are giving the ball away far often for Arsene Wengers liking as Fulham continue to frustrate the home side.
  • 14
    Eboue gives the ball away to Bouazza who knocks a ball into Healy giving the Nothern Irish striker a chance to turn and shoot but only sends it high and wide of Arsenal's goal.
  • 13
    Smertin strikes one from long range looking to get the better of Lehmann, but the German goalkeeper gets down well to save and hold the ball.
  • 12
    Eboue whips in a great cross for Rosicky who catches the ball on the volley but can only send it just over the bar as Arsenal begin to press Fulham.
  • 11
    Fabregas makes a hash of a free kick wide on the right as the Spanish midfielder scuffs the ball straight to Bouazza who clears.
  • 10
    Fabregas takes on a shot from long range but it doesn't trouble Warner who just watches the ball skid wide of the goal.
  • 9
    Hleb jinxes his way into the penalty and looks to be brought down by Baird but referee Phil Dowd waves away the Arsenal protests.
  • 6
    Healy does well again getting on the end of a Bouazza pass before trying to pick out McBride with the cross but Toure does well to close the goalscorer down and put the ball out for a throw-in.
  • 4
    Hleb goes on a mazy run through the Fulham defence before slipping the ball to Rosicky who took on the shot a little to quickly, sending it wid of the goal.
  • 3
    Fulham are bossing the game so far, giving the Gunners no time on the ball whoare looking shell-shocked after Fulham's first goal.
  • 1
    David Healy gets his first goal for the club after Jens Lehmann makes a mess of the back-pass, slipping and giving it straight to the Northern Ireland striker who simply had to tap the ball home.
  • 0
    Referee Phil Dowd get this first of twenty London derbies in the Premiership this season with Arsenal kicking off.
  • 0
    Fulham: Niemi, Baird, Bocanegra, Knight, Konchesky, Davies, Smertin, Davis, Bouazza, Healy, McBride
  • 0
    Fulham introduce five of their summer signings with Baird, Konchesky, Bouazza, Davis and Healy all starting for the Cottagers while Kamara is on the bench.Fulham are without Hughes, Cook, Pearce and Christanval as they look for a first win at Arsenal
  • 0
    Arsenal: Lehmann, Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Eboue, Fabregas, Flamini, Rosicky, Hleb, Van Persie
  • 0
    Arsenal are without their big summer signing Eduardo da Silva who has an ankle injury, Eduardo joins Adebayor and Gilberto on the sidelines. Bacray Sagna makes his Arsenal debut as the Gunners begin life without Thierry Henry.
  • 0
    A change to the Fulham line-up with Antti Niemi picking up an injury in the warm-up and Tony Warner taking his place between the sticks

Statistics

Arsenal
Shots on target 14
Shots off target 6
Shots off bar/post 0
Fouls 6
Offsides 5
Corners 14

Fulham
Shots on target 9
Shots off target 3
Shots off bar/post 0
Fouls 19
Offsides 1
Corners 4

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