Fulham 0 - 1 Arsenal

Van Persie is mobbed on scoring his second of the season

Arsenal goalkeeper Vito Mannone was the hero as the Gunners secured an untypically scrappy victory at Fulham.

The Italian made stunning one-handed saves from two Andrew Johnson headers and also parried Zoltan Gera's drive.

Fulham were the better of the two teams, but Arsenal won it when Cesc Fabregas clipped a pass for Robin van Persie to take a touch and fire home.

Mannone pushed away an Andrew Johnson drive and made a superb point-blank save from Bobby Zamora to deny Fulham.

Roy Hodgson's side will wonder how they failed to take anything from the game as they dominated for long periods, but the difference between the two teams was Mannone, the 21-year-old from Desio.

Making his third Premier League appearance, Mannone pulled off a string of magnificent saves to thwart a Fulham strikeforce that has now scored only four goals in six league matches this season.

From the start Fulham were the better team but Mannone, keeping his place in the side with Manuel Almunia still struggling with a virus, enjoyed the performance of his career.

606: DEBATE Am very impressed with Vito Mannone. We should stick with him backofthenetkings

He made a quite-brilliant one-handed save at point-blank range from Johnson's header, before Clint Dempsey's goal-bound follow-up shot cannoned against the keeper's face.

Arsenal looked lethargic and disinterested at times with the returning Andrey Arshavin distinctly off-colour, though both Fabregas and Arshavin should have done better than blaze over from promising positions inside the Fulham box.

But the Cottagers were the game's dominant force and they continued to push Arsenal back deep into their own half as they tried to find a breakthrough.

Hodgson pays credit to team

Unfortunately for them, Mannone was in sparkling form and once again he came to the Gunners' rescue with a fine push away from Gera's low 18-yard drive.

Zamora crashed a shot wide as Fulham signalled their intentions to continue an assault on the Arsenal goal at the start of the second half, but shortly after and totally against the run of play, the visitors went ahead.

They did so in partly due thanks to a mistake as Paul Konchesky gave the ball away but it was also thanks to Fabregas's delightful lofted pass for Van Persie and the Dutchman's fabulous instant control and shot into the far corner.

For a brief moment Arsenal found their A-game and a superb passing move finished with Schwarzer tipping away Nicklas Bendtner's drive, but Fulham soon got back on top.

They piled forward in search for an equaliser but Mannone stuck out a hand to stop Johnson's header from a Zamora cross before Bacary Sagna and William Gallas both made crucial late blocks as Arsenal found themselves under the cosh.

Zamora must have thought he had equalised when he met a free-kick three yards out, but once more his header was parried away thanks to the fabulous reflexes of Mannone.

Wenger optimistic about team this season

Arsenal go fifth while Fulham stay 17th, but on this evidence the home side has little to worry about in the way of a relegation battle.

As for the Gunners, they may just have stumbled upon a new hero in the shape of Mannone.

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Fulham manager Roy Hodgson:

"I thought we played well - at 0-0 I was rather hoping we could get something from the game.

"We came across a goalkeeper in splendid form and a determined Arsenal team - and overall we can count ourselves unlucky not to get something from the game.

"But it was a good performance over the 95 minutes, I can't fault the effort or quality of our play but they showed their quality in the penalty box can be a decisive factor when it's a close game.

"We played so well today, it bodes well for the future.

"Every time you lose it's not easy to put a brave face on it but I'm not as disappointed as I was last week (Wolves), when I thought our performance merited a defeat."

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger:

"It was a good performance in the second half especially.

"Today I am very happy. We compensated for a lack of fluidity and cohesion with attitude, spirit and desire and of course it was a good display by Mannone.

"You go from game to game, you judge a goalkeeper by a longer number of games.

"He has shown he has quality and composure and has made good decisions but you do not reject the other goalkeepers.

"It was vital for us to come back and with Chelsea losing today the Premier League became more compact again and that is interesting. We are in a strong position."