- Date:02 Jan 2012
- Kick-off:17:30
- Venue:Craven Cottage
- Attendance:25,700
Live Commentary
- 91mins
Bobby Zamora grabs a goal from close in to the bottom right corner of the goal. Fulham 2-1 Arsenal.Assist on the goal came from Stephen Kelly.
- 91mins
Stephen Kelly sends in a cross, Sebastien Squillaci manages to make a clearance.
- 91mins
Effort from outside the penalty box by Moussa Dembele goes wide left of the goal.
- 90mins
Long range effort from John Arne Riise misses to the left of the goal.
- 90mins
Stephen Kelly crosses the ball, Tomas Rosicky manages to make a clearance.
- 89mins
Kerim Frei delivers the ball, save made by Wojciech Szczesny.
- 89mins
Tomas Rosicky has an effort at goal from the edge of the area that misses to the right of the target.
- 88mins
The referee blows for offside. Brede Hangeland takes the free kick.
- 87mins
Bryan Ruiz is flagged offside by the assistant referee. Indirect free kick taken by Wojciech Szczesny.
- 87mins
The official flags Kerim Frei offside. Wojciech Szczesny takes the free kick.
- 86mins
Stephen Kelly crosses the ball, Laurent Koscielny makes a clearance.
- 84mins
Steve Sidwell scores a headed goal from close range. Fulham 1-1 Arsenal.Assist on the goal came from Philippe Senderos.
- 84mins
Corner from the right by-line taken by Bryan Ruiz, save made by Wojciech Szczesny.
- 83mins
Bobby Zamora takes a shot. Blocked by Alex Song.
- 82mins
Bobby Zamora is ruled offside. Wojciech Szczesny restarts play with the free kick.
- 81mins
Foul by Moussa Dembele on Mikel Arteta, free kick awarded. Direct free kick taken by Mikel Arteta.
- 80mins
Aaron Ramsey goes off and Sebastien Squillaci comes on.
- 80mins
The ball is sent over by Bobby Zamora.
- 79mins
Corner taken by Bryan Ruiz played to the near post, Robin van Persie manages to make a clearance.
- 77mins
Johan Djourou challenges Bobby Zamora unfairly and gives away a free kick. Johan Djourou sent off. Stephen Kelly shoots direct from the free kick.
- 76mins
Bryan Ruiz challenges Laurent Koscielny unfairly and gives away a free kick. Wojciech Szczesny restarts play with the free kick.
- 76mins
The ball is swung over by Kerim Frei, clearance made by Per Mertesacker.
- 74mins
Bryan Ruiz takes a shot. Fantastic save by Wojciech Szczesny.
- 73mins
Tomas Rosicky concedes a free kick for a foul on Kerim Frei. Yao Gervinho goes off and Yossi Benayoun comes on. Free kick taken by John Arne Riise.
- 71mins
Stephen Kelly sends in a cross, Laurent Koscielny manages to make a clearance.
- 70mins
Yao Gervinho has an effort from just inside the box that misses to the left of the target.
- 68mins
The referee penalises Clint Dempsey for handball. Kerim Frei comes on in place of Danny Murphy. Wojciech Szczesny takes the indirect free kick.
- 67mins
The referee blows for offside against Francis Coquelin. Free kick taken by David Stockdale.
- 66mins
The ball is delivered by Johan Djourou, clearance made by Philippe Senderos.
- 66mins
Yao Gervinho produces a cross, clearance made by Philippe Senderos.
- 65mins
The ball is crossed by Bryan Ruiz, Clint Dempsey has a headed effort at goal from close in which goes wide right of the goal.
- 62mins
Johan Djourou challenges Moussa Dembele unfairly and gives away a free kick. Johan Djourou receives a yellow card for unsporting behaviour. Danny Murphy crosses the ball, Headed effort on goal by Philippe Senderos from inside the penalty box misses to the right of the target.
- 61mins
Moussa Dembele has an effort at goal from outside the area which goes wide right of the goal.
- 60mins
Robin van Persie challenges Steve Sidwell unfairly and gives away a free kick. Direct free kick taken by Philippe Senderos.
- 58mins
Alex Song gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Clint Dempsey. Danny Murphy takes the free kick. Effort on goal by Steve Sidwell from long range goes over the bar.
- 54mins
Stephen Kelly delivers the ball.
- 54mins
Theo Walcott takes a shot. John Arne Riise gets a block in.
- 52mins
Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Johan Djourou by Danny Murphy. Direct free kick taken by Mikel Arteta.
- 51mins
Theo Walcott sends in a cross, Brede Hangeland makes a clearance.
- 51mins
Johan Djourou challenges Clint Dempsey unfairly and gives away a free kick. Danny Murphy restarts play with the free kick.
- 49mins
The ball is sent over by John Arne Riise, Steve Sidwell has a header from inside the six-yard box and clears the crossbar.
- 48mins
The offside flag is raised against Bobby Zamora. Laurent Koscielny takes the free kick.
- 46mins
Bryan Ruiz takes a shot. Wojciech Szczesny makes a comfortable save.
- 45mins
Outswinging corner taken from the right by-line by Danny Murphy, Philippe Senderos has a headed effort from close in and clears the bar.
- 45mins
Aaron Ramsey takes a shot. Save by David Stockdale.
- 43mins
Clint Dempsey crosses the ball, clearance made by Per Mertesacker.
- 42mins
Robin van Persie is ruled offside. Free kick taken by Danny Murphy.
- 41mins
A cross is delivered by Robin van Persie, John Arne Riise makes a clearance.
- 41mins
John Arne Riise produces a cross, Headed effort from inside the penalty area by Bobby Zamora misses to the right of the target.
- 39mins
Theo Walcott takes a shot. Blocked by Philippe Senderos.
- 38mins
The ball is swung over by Stephen Kelly.
- 37mins
Shot from just outside the box by Theo Walcott misses to the left of the target.
- 35mins
Clint Dempsey has a shot on goal from outside the area which misses left.
- 34mins
Robin van Persie takes a shot. David Stockdale makes a comfortable save.
- 32mins
Centre by Francis Coquelin, Robin van Persie takes a shot. Comfortable save by David Stockdale.
- 30mins
Bryan Ruiz has an effort at goal from the edge of the box that misses to the right of the target.
- 30mins
Theo Walcott takes a shot. Comfortable save by David Stockdale.
- 29mins
Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Aaron Ramsey by Clint Dempsey. Robin van Persie crosses the ball in from the free kick, Stephen Kelly makes a clearance.
- 29mins
Theo Walcott sends in a cross, blocked by John Arne Riise.
- 28mins
Robin van Persie takes a shot. Brede Hangeland gets a block in.
- 28mins
Theo Walcott sends in a cross, clearance by Steve Sidwell.
- 26mins
Inswinging corner taken by Danny Murphy, Wojciech Szczesny makes a save.
- 25mins
The ball is swung over by Bobby Zamora, Johan Djourou manages to make a clearance.
- 24mins
Alex Song concedes a free kick for a foul on Brede Hangeland. Direct free kick taken by Danny Murphy.
- 22mins
Aaron Ramsey takes a shot. David Stockdale makes a fantastic save. Yao Gervinho takes a shot. Inswinging corner taken right-footed by Mikel Arteta, save by David Stockdale.
- 21mins
Centre by Theo Walcott.
- 20mins
The ball is swung over by Aaron Ramsey, Laurent Koscielny scores a headed goal from close range. Fulham 0-1 Arsenal.Assist by Aaron Ramsey.
- 20mins
Mikel Arteta takes a shot. Blocked by Aaron Ramsey.
- 19mins
Short corner worked by Aaron Ramsey, Robin van Persie produces a cross, clearance by Philippe Senderos.
- 18mins
Bobby Zamora concedes a free kick for a foul on Laurent Koscielny. Wojciech Szczesny takes the free kick.
- 17mins
Free kick awarded for a foul by Alex Song on Moussa Dembele. Danny Murphy takes the direct free kick.
- 15mins
Theo Walcott is caught offside. John Arne Riise takes the free kick.
- 13mins
Francis Coquelin gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Bobby Zamora. Danny Murphy produces a cross, Brede Hangeland has a header from close in and clears the crossbar.
- 13mins
The ball is crossed by John Arne Riise.
- 12mins
Free kick awarded for a foul by Mikel Arteta on Bryan Ruiz. Bryan Ruiz takes the direct free kick.
- 11mins
Aaron Ramsey produces a cross, Philippe Senderos manages to make a clearance.
- 11mins
Mikel Arteta fouled by Steve Sidwell, the ref awards a free kick. Per Mertesacker takes the free kick.
- 10mins
Alex Song challenges Moussa Dembele unfairly and gives away a free kick. Direct free kick taken by John Arne Riise.
- 10mins
John Arne Riise fouled by Robin van Persie, the ref awards a free kick. Danny Murphy restarts play with the free kick.
- 9mins
Bobby Zamora takes a shot. Save made by Wojciech Szczesny.
- 7mins
Inswinging corner taken from the right by-line by Robin van Persie, Yao Gervinho has an effort at goal from close in which goes wide left of the goal.
- 7mins
The ball is sent over by Theo Walcott, Brede Hangeland manages to make a clearance.
- 4mins
Bryan Ruiz takes a shot. Mikel Arteta gets a block in.
- 3mins
Shot by Danny Murphy from just outside the area goes over the net.
- 2mins
Aaron Ramsey takes a shot. Save by David Stockdale.
Centre by Theo Walcott, Yao Gervinho takes a shot from just inside the penalty box which clears the crossbar.
Match Preview
Jol calls for ruthlessness in front of goal Martin Jol believes Fulham need to be more clinical in 2012 after they conceded an injury-time goal to Norwich. The Cottagers were just moments from securing only a second away Barclays Premier League win of the season at Carrow Road before Simeon Jackson grabbed a dramatic late equaliser. Portugal striker Orlando Sa had fired Fulham into an early lead, and then had another effort cleared off the line before Clint Dempsey's header hit the bar. Despite looking so comfortable during the first half, ultimately Fulham paid for failing to get themselves a two-goal cushion as Norwich forced them to defend deeper and deeper as the match went on. Jol knows if Fulham, knocked out of the Europa League, are to progress over the second half of the season, they must make more of their opportunities. "We created three or four opportunities, but we only scored one. We should have scored probably more," said Jol, whose side host Arsenal in the late afternoon kick off. "That has maybe been a bit of our problem this season, we played some very good games, but even when we defended well, we could not score at the right times. That is what we have to do. "But whatever happens, we will still play our football." Fulham earned a creditable 1-1 draw at Arsenal in late November. The Gunners have turned their season around after a terrible start to move into the top four with a 1-0 home win over QPR. Much water may have passed under the bridge since Jol famously squared up to Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger in the dugout when the then Tottenham boss was battling for Champions League qualification. The Dutch coach, though, remains an admirer of the way Wenger goes about his business. "When I was in England five or six years ago, Arsenal were older, with more experience, then they started to build a new team," Jol said. "They are younger now, and it all needed a couple of years, but they still play great football." Jol will assess his squad, but indicated neither strikers Bobby Zamora nor Andrew Johnson were expected to be involved against Arsenal as they recover full-match fitness. However, Republic of Ireland winger Damien Duff could feature having returned from his injury lay-off with a 10-minute cameo at Carrow Road. Meanwhile, Wenger may be pleased Arsenal start 2012 in the top four of the Barclays Premier League but he insists the team never lost their self-belief as they prepare for the game. Few would have predicted such a rise after their poor start to the campaign, but Wenger insists his players never lost belief. "When we were in a difficult situation I always said 'look, we have to take the critics and focus on performing better and improving'," he said. "I give credit to my players because we have been 17th or 18th in the league. "Nobody focused on that and we improved as a team. "For me, the spirit in the side got us to where we are today. "We still have some room for improvement but there is a good base there because the attitude and the spirit are really great." An area Wenger may look to strengthen now the transfer window has reopened is at left-back. Kieran Gibbs is not expected to return until the end of January with a stomach injury, while summer signing Andre Santos is expected to be sidelined until March with an ankle complaint. Arsenal's defensive woes deepened further on Saturday when Thomas Vermaelen was forced off in the 54th minute with a calf strain. Defensive midfielder Francis Coquelin filled the void for the remainder of the game against QPR, but some suggest a new signing could be in the offing. Out-of-favour Manchester City defender Wayne Bridge has been linked with a loan move, which Wenger has previously refused to rule out Asked whether Vermaelen's injury heightens the need for defensive reinforcements, Wenger said: "Straight after the game I don't know because I need to analyse it all. "Gibbs is three weeks away but it would be stupid to lose points because we don't have a left-back." The aforementioned trio all miss the match at Craven Cottage and will be joined on the sidelines by Jack Wilshere, Carl Jenkinson and Bacary Sagna.M
Fulham
Arsenal
- David Stockdale
- Stephen Kelly
- Brede Hangeland
- Philippe Senderos
- John Arne Riise
- Moussa Dembele
- Danny Murphy
- Steve Sidwell
- Bryan Ruiz
- Bobby Zamora
- Clint Dempsey
- SUBS
- Neil Etheridge
- Chris Baird
- Carlos Orlando Sa
- Marcel Gecov
- Damien Duff
- Aaron Hughes
- Kerim Frei
Home
Away
- Wojciech Szczesny
- Johan Djourou
- Per Mertesacker
- Laurent Koscielny
- Francis Coquelin
- Alex Song
- Mikel Arteta
- Theo Walcott
- Aaron Ramsey
- Yao Gervinho
- Robin van Persie
- SUBS
- Manuel Almunia
- Tomas Rosicky
- Sebastien Squillaci
- Andrey Arshavin
- Marouane Chamakh
- Yossi Benayoun
- Ignasi Miquel
Match Report
Zamora stuns Gunners Bobby Zamora's last-gasp volley saw Fulham complete an incredible comeback for a 2-1 win against 10-man Arsenal at Craven Cottage. The England international's goal deep into stoppage time helped the Cottagers start 2012 in the best possible manner on a bitterly cold night in west London. Arsenal had looked set to secure a fifth victory in six away matches thanks to unlikely hero Laurent Koscielny's first half header. Defeat, though, would have been cruel on a Fulham after a spirited performance and the game's dimensions changed 12 minutes from time when Johan Djourou was sent off for a second bookable offence. Martin Jol's side unleashed a barrage of attacks as they searched for an equaliser, which came when Steve Sidwell nodded home from close range in the 85th minute. The drama did not stop there, though, as Fulham's continued to exert pressure that resulted in Zamora firing home in stoppage time. Heading into the match Arsene Wenger resisted the temptation to rest in-form Robin van Persie, although his hand was forced in terms of a defensive alteration. Francis Coquelin was drafted in as makeshift left-back due to the Gunners' growing injury problems, with Thomas Vermaelen the latest to pick up a knock on New Year's Eve. Gervinho was the north Londoners' only other change, while counterpart Jol brought in Zamora and Sidwell. The former returned after a spell out with an Achilles injury and led an attack-minded Cottagers line-up, although the home side spent most of the opening exchanges on the back foot. Gervinho twice blazed over for the north Londoners and Aaron Ramsey got away a shot on goal under pressure. Arsenal could not match their bright start with midfield guile, though, and Wojciech Szczesny was forced into action to stop Zamora taking advantage in the 10th minute. The home side's spirited opening was almost undone three minutes later when former Gunners defender Philippe Senderos upended Gervinho in the box. The Ivory Coast international seemed to have his legs swiped away but referee Lee Probert waved away the penalty appeals. The visiting support felt aggrieved by the decision but were soon able to celebrate breaking the deadlock. Ramsey found space to put in a cross from the left that, having taken a kind deflection off Stephen Kelly, was headed home by Koscielny from six yards. Arsenal thought they had doubled their advantage almost immediately but were thwarted by some world-class goalkeeping by David Stockdale. The England squad member stopped a close-range Ramsey drive, a miscued Sidwell clearance and then a Gervinho effort during a penalty box melee. Stockdale was called into action once more when van Persie flicked a shot on target, which came after Bryan Ruiz shot just wide at the other end. The Costa Rica international was proving dangerous against Arsenal's makeshift left flank and thought he had won Fulham a penalty after being fouled by Alex Song. Jol's side looked geed up as half-time approached and Zamora headed wide after some combative play on the left, before Stockdale was called into action to stop Ramsey. The Cottagers looked rejuvenated after the break and Ruiz fired a snatched half-volley wide inside two minutes of the restart, before Sidwell and Moussa Dembele came close. The former then hit an audacious 30-yard drive as Fulham looked for an equaliser, which almost came when Senderos headed a Danny Murphy free-kick inches over. Jol's side were looking dangerous in the air and came closer still through Clint Dempsey, who met a floated Ruiz ball with a darted header that just evaded the far post. The latter was guilty of missing a gilt-edged chance in the 75th minute, firing straight at Szczesny from 12 yards when unmarked. Fulham's hopes of finding a leveller were boosted three minutes later when Djourou was sent off for a second bookable offence. Jol's side pushed forward in numbers and found a way past Arsenal's backline with five minutes remaining. Ruiz's corner was headed back across goal by Senderos after Szczesny parried and Sidwell headed home from close range. Fulham continued to press forward and eked out a winner deep into stoppage time, with Zamora volleying home from close range.
Form Guide
- WLWLDD
- Fulham
- VS
- Arsenal WWLWDW
Last Meetings
- Arsenal
- 1 - 1
- Fulham
- 26/11/2011
- Fulham
- 2 - 2
- Arsenal
- 22/05/2011
- Arsenal
- 2 - 1
- Fulham
- 04/12/2010
- Arsenal
- 4 - 0
- Fulham
- 09/05/2010
- Fulham
- 0 - 1
- Arsenal
- 26/09/2009
- Arsenal
- 0 - 0
- Fulham
- 28/02/2009
Top Scorers
Fulham
- CD Dempsey 6
- A Johnson 3
- B Zamora 3
- B Ruiz 2
- M Dembele 1
- CB Orlando Sa 1
Arsenal
- R van Persie 16
- YK Gervinho 4
- M Arteta 3
- T Vermaelen 3
- T Walcott 2
- Y Benayoun 1
- A Arshavin 1
- C Andre Santos 1
- M Chamakh 1
- A Song 1
- A Ramsey 1
Goals
Fulham
- Total goals 45
- Goals per game 20
- 2 (For) 3 (Against) Period 0-10 mins
- 1 (For) 1 (Against) Period 11-20 mins
- (For) 1 (Against) Period 21-30 mins
- 4 (For) 1 (Against) Period 31-40 mins
- 1 (For) 7 (Against) Period 41-50 mins
- 4 (For) 1 (Against) Period 51-60 mins
- 3 (For) 1 (Against) Period 61-70 mins
- 2 (For) 1 (Against) Period 71-80 mins
- 3 (For) 9 (Against) Period 81-90 mins
Arsenal
- Total goals 60
- Goals per game 35
- 3 (For) Period 0-10 mins
- 1 (For) 2 (Against) Period 11-20 mins
- 5 (For) 3 (Against) Period 21-30 mins
- 4 (For) 4 (Against) Period 31-40 mins
- 3 (For) 3 (Against) Period 41-50 mins
- 4 (For) 3 (Against) Period 51-60 mins
- 2 (For) 5 (Against) Period 61-70 mins
- 5 (For) 3 (Against) Period 71-80 mins
- 8 (For) 3 (Against) Period 81-90 mins
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