Published: 19 January, 2014
Premier League
ARSENAL 2, FULHAM 0

ARSENE Wenger made a case for his defence on Saturday after Arsenal clinched their fifth league win on the spin with a 2-0 victory over Fulham.

Santi Cazorla will grab all the headlines after scoring twice in five second-half minutes to keep the Gunners a point ahead of Manchester City at the top of the table.

Wenger, however, was more impressed by his side's new-found defensive stability after watching the north Londoners record their 10th clean sheet in the league this season.

"That stability is vital to us because you do not have to run after goals and that allows you to be a bit more patient with your build-up and wait for your chances," said the Arsenal boss.

"Our defenders deserve a lot of credit. We were defensively serious for 90 minutes." 

Reflecting on the overall performance, Wenger added, "We were a bit one-paced in the first half but in the second half we stepped up a gear and it was just a question of time, and Santi Cazorla delivered two special goals to make everybody happy."

In front of a 60,000-strong crowd at the Emirates Stadium the home side started the brighter and almost took the lead within minutes of the kick-off. Mesut Ozil's scuffed shot beat Fulham goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg, but Brede Hangeland was well placed to clear the ball off the line.

Arsenal continued to threaten without really creating any clear-cut chances, allowing the visitors to warm into the match. Midway through the first half the ball dropped to former Gunners trainee Steve Sidwell at the edge of the Arsenal penalty area and the midfielder fired in a superb half-volley to force Wojciech Szczesny into a one-handed save. The Polish shot-stopper then had to get his timing inch-perfect as he came out to save at the feet of Ashkan Dejagah as Fulham pressed again.

It was then Arsenal's turn to go close to opening the scoring as Cazorla's free-kick came off the wall, rebounding to Bacary Sagna. His shot was well saved by Stekelenburg, as was Giroud's follow-up, but the offside flag had been raised.

There was another scare for Arsenal at the start of the second half when Fulham defender Dan Burn, making his Premier League debut, sent a header goalwards from a corner. But Per Mertesacker was well placed to clear for the league leaders.

Arsenal finally had the breakthrough on 57 minutes when the ball was worked by Giroud to Wilshere in the left side of the crowded penalty area and he cut it back to Cazorla, who drilled his shot into the bottom right corner.

Minutes later the three points were made safe when Nacho Monreal's cross from the left was headed out by Burn, and the ball dropped to Cazorla.

The Spaniard quickly set himself before clipping a lovely drive low past Stekelenburg.

"Being top is a positive pressure, and we can deal with that," Wenger added. "We just want to keep on focusing on our performances."

ARSENAL: Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Flamini, Wilshere, Cazorla, Ozil (Oxlaid-Chamberlain, 86'), Gnabry (Podolski, 71'), Giroud.

Attendance: 60,000