Fulham star admits team trained for Arsenal set-pieces | OneFootball

Sander Berge admitted after Fulham’s defeat to Arsenal that they specifically prepared for the Gunners’ set-piece threat, but it didn’t end up mattering.

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Arsenal won Saturday’s Premier League clash against Fulham thanks to another set-piece goal, with Leandro Trossard turning home from close range after Gabriel Magalhaes headed on a Bukayo Saka corner.

The goal came as a disappointment to the hosts, who had held out well for almost an hour of the match. But more than just going behind, Fulham would have been unhappy with the nature of the opening goal.

Speaking to the media afterwards, Sander Berge admitted the team had specifically prepared for Arsenal’s set-pieces.

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“It’s about small margins when you play Arsenal and you know you have to be at your best for the whole game,” Berge said. “They are extremely good on their set pieces and they’ve shown that for a long time. We prepared well but we didn’t manage to keep the goal out.

“They have shown in the last few years they’re a great team and they’ve probably got even better, so for periods you struggle and have to be resilient.

“At 0-0 you feel you’ve got something to hold on to but in the end the pressure was too much and they got their goal. It’s hard to keep a clean sheet against them.”

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In the end, that one set-piece goal was enough for Arsenal to take all three points away from Craven Cottage. With the Gunners losing in this fixture in 2023/24 and drawing in 2024/25, it’s encouraging that they managed to get the victory this time around.

It’s not going to get any easier to score goals in Arsenal’s next game though, with Atletico Madrid visiting the Emirates Stadium. Set pieces may prove vital once again.