Fulham 0-1 Arsenal: Leandro Trossard converts from close range to hand Gunners win over London rivals as Mikel Arteta's men reclaim top spot

Even a collection of artists can appreciate the value of a grubby finish on a cold, hard night. For that reason, the ugliest goal of Arsenal’s campaign might yet be remembered as one of those defining moments in a season.

That it was nudged over from two yards off the thigh of Leandro Trossard would otherwise be a forgettable detail, but it rerouted a fixture that had proven more taxing than most expected.

It was also indicative of what we might tentatively risk terming as the new Arsenal. They have the pretty stuff in abundance and we know that. Just as we know they have previous for being flaky in past challenges, but what they did here, with grime and graft in the face of potential embarrassment, is the stuff of serious contenders.

Consider a statistic: this was their third away win in four and all have come from single-goal margins. In other words, they are mastering the priceless quality of finding a way. Of riding out matches when they don’t have their best stuff and avoiding a slip.

We can now see a growing pattern in how that adds up – between their last home game against West Ham and this engagement at Fulham, they have taken six points from matches in which they took one in the corresponding fixtures last season. Is that an overinterpretation? Or progress?

It feels a lot more like the latter, which has come from the maturing of Mikel Arteta’s players and the reinforcements to his squad. The benefit of that depth has already shown itself, of course, and will truly come to the fore now with this match representing the first of seven in three weeks.

That it left them top of the table was incidental compared to the questions that would have arisen had they dropped points.

The contrast in circumstances for these two clubs was evidenced in glaring detail on the team sheets. No Martin Odegaard, Mikel? Fine, you have Martin Zubimendi.

For Fulham, the dynamics work differently – both Raul Jimenez and Kenny Tete were rated as doubtful for this one with their respective knee and hip issues but needs must.

Tete was on the bench and Jimenez, as Silva’s only senior, recognised striker, was given a start out of necessity. When Silva discussed that dilemma earlier in the week, his jealousy towards Arteta’s richer array of options was not hidden.

But the strangest thing happened - Fulham controlled large sections of the first half. Not with the ball, but on the counter, which Arteta ordinarily accepts as the cost of doing business with a high defensive line. Silva had more success than most in trying to exploit it and the specifics could be traced to an Arsenal vulnerability in the spaces behind Riccardo Calafiori.

The Italian’s adventures up the left are doubtless a huge asset to Arteta, but with back door often left unlocked, raiders will flourish. Harry Wilson did it well, dovetailing with the equally dangerous Josh King to create a stream of decent chances.

Of the bunch, King went closest with a lob that required a save off the fingertips of David Raya, having already robbed Eberechi Eze and then looped him in the build up.

For their efforts, Arsenal’s chances were far more limited. Part of that came down to difficulties in the duel between Bukayo Saka and Ryan Sessegnon, which put Saka in the unfamiliar situation of facing a full-back who offered a near-match for his acceleration and agility. Those races from a standing start were, for once, less than a foregone conclusion.

When Arteta’s side did create openings, the finishing was substandard, barring one glorious strike by Calafiori correctly disallowed for offside. The best of the moves opportunities that counted fell to Viktor Gyokeres, who was slipped a clever ball by Saka but then drilled his shot directly at Bernd Leno.

The clock was ticking on Gyokeres’s goalless stretch and, likewise, the questions are growing around his wider play, especially in his positioning and ability to read what the creators behind him are plotting. At times here, he appeared to be hiding – nothing that can’t be fixed with the confidence of a goal, presumably, but a troubling sign.

For Arteta, the tension eased with an increased tempo after the break. Part of that was fatigue in Fulham’s stretched squad, but it is also true that Saka stepped up against Sessegnon. Unlike Gyokeres, he was relentless in showing for the ball.

When the breakthrough came from the reliable source of a set-piece, it was ugly, with Gabriel flicking on Declan Rice’s corner and Trossed nudging in with his thigh. Gyokeres could use one of those.

Attempts to get a second were frustrated, predominantly by a marginal decision to not award Saka a penalty after an apparent foul by Kevin. After reviewing the challenge on the monitor, the referee Anthony Taylor ruled against Arsenal, but they were able to navigate the setback. We haven’t always been able to say that about them.