Yet again it was the late, late show by Arsenal in what proved to be a repeat of so many home Premiership matches last season. Arsenal had to rely on 2 late goals to avoid their first opening day defeat in the last six seasons.
Arsenal as always set out to play their usual aesthetic game but could not have had a worst start in the game as they gifted, literally, the opening goal to Fulham with less than a minute gone. Healy, who looked offside prior to being closed down by Clichy and Gallas, had pressurized the French fullback into playing the ball back to Lehmann. The German goalkeeper attempted to trick the Fulham forward by playing a no look pass back to Clichy but got it horrendously wrong. The ball was kicked with his right foot but managed to bounce up off his knee and into the path of Healy. The Northern Irish centre forward, reunited with his former national team boss Lawrie Sanchez after being one of his first purchases since taking over at Fulham, could not have believed his luck as the ball fell into his path less than 6 yards out with the ‘keeper left on his backside with nothing left to do but to prod the ball into the empty net.
In typical Arsenal fashion, the home side turned the screw with their usual fluent passing, and as was the case in most games last season, flattered to deceive when it came to actually putting he ball in the back of the net. Whether it be wayward finishing or the heroics from the away ‘keeper Tony Warner (who incidentally was only on the pitch after first choice Antti Niemi picked up an injury in the warm-up) the home side could not manage a way to put the ball in the back of the net.
This was until Arsenal were awarded a penalty in the 83rd minute after some mazy dribbling from Toure (didn’t know he had it in him) resulted in the Ivorian being brought down in the box by American Carlos Bocanegra. van Persie made no mistake with the spot kick, blasting the ball into the top right hand corner of the net, leaving Warner with no chance. With stoppage time looming Hleb managed to bring down a long ball in the box before turning to make some room for the shot before firing low into the bottom corner.
It was good to see Hleb score his first premiership goal of the season on the opening day when he only managed to score twice the whole of last season. It might be due to the fact he was playing in his preferred central role rather than being stuck out on the right. In fact he could have even got a brace had it not been for a last ditch goal line clearance from Zat Knight.
The home side’s first chance of the game Rosicky but the Czech international captain scuffed his shot wide before Cesc Fabregas tried his luck from distance but the result was the same.
Hleb, looking dangerous from the start, received the ball wide to the left of the box and managed to twist and turn his way towards goal and looked to have earned his side a penalty after being brought down by Chris Baird but referee Phil Dowd waved play on.
Minutes later Sagna, making his Premiership debut, put in a ball from the right wing, and with the aid of a deflection from van Persie, the ball bounced up in front of Rosicky who showed some quick thinking to get a snapshot of a volley in ye the ball flew just wide of the upright. It seemed like a goal was imminent. Then Eboue, who showed some good linkup play with Sagna while still playing on the wing, before cutting the ball back to Hleb who had his goalbound shot hacked off the line by the impressive Knight. Yet again it was the same story.
Hleb then had another penalty claim minutes later, although being fair to him it was more claims from the crowd rather than the player, and yet again the ref waved play on.
Fulham had a couple of chances but nothing to test Lehmann with shots from Smertin and Davies being comfortably saved by the German.
With halftime looming Hleb, van Persie and Rosicky (twice) had gone close and had it not been for Warner the Arsenal could have found themselves with a healthy lead. Then, after being put through by van Persie, Fabregas somehow managed to neither score nor make a pass to the onrushing Rosicky and the Fulham goalkeeper managed to smother at the feet of the Spaniard. As it was half time came with Arsenal still trailing to that freakish opening goal.
The second half started where the first left of with Arsenal piling on the pressure on the Fulham goal. Rosicky managed to chest down a diagonal cross field ball from Flamini of all people and race through on goal before being thwarted once again by Warner.
On a rare counter attack from Fulham the ball fell to Davies who was left unmarked in the box but his stinging shot was parried by Lehmann who had gone some way to making up for his previous error by keeping the Arsenal in the game.
It was end to end stuff after this point with Arsenal piling forward and Fulham trying to hit the home side on the break in an attempt to consolidate their lead.
van Persie went close and Bocanegra miscued his shot from a corner kick as chance were left untaken.
After being put through van Persie had almost gone into the box before Baird produced a fantastic recovery tackle to prevent the Dutchman, but the ball had only gone as far as Rosicky who let fly with one of his trademark pile drivers with Warner in no mans’ land but once again it was Knight who came to Fulham’s rescue deflecting the ball wide of the left hand upright.
Walcott and Bendtner were introduced minutes later for the ineffective Eboue and the misfiring Rosicky and the young Gunners impressed. Walcott, showing with some great pace, why he was called up into the senior England side for last summer’s World Cup and Bendtner using his big frame to give the Arsenal a physical presence up front.
Toure found some space wide left of the box and his low curling effort was heading goal bounds before Warner managed to get a strong palm to the ball. Pushing up at almost every opportunity the Ivorian then managed to twist his way past three Fulham challenges before being upended in the box. It was third time lucky as the ref finally pointed to the spot. van Persie though had everything to do as the keeper was on form but after choosing his spot, and hitting the ball with so much power, Warner had no chance as the Fulham keeper was sent the wrong way.
There was relief around the stadium but the payers weren’t done yet as Flamini tried to get the ball back to the halfway line in order to prevent yet more time wasting by the away team. Diop and Warner were having none of that though as they refused to give the ball back to the Frenchman. In fact when Flamini did get a hold of the ball, Diop manhandled the Frenchman to the ground which resulted in all three p[layers being put into the book.
All of the away sides gamesmanship came back to haunt them as the Arsenal weren’t finished yet, and with seconds of normal time remaining Hleb scored the wining goal to send the Emirates stadium into raptures. It might have been a bit harsh on the Fulham goalkeeper Warner who really should have been Man of the Match but Fulham as a team rarely threatened after being gifted the opener and with their time wasting I have no sympathy for the away side.