By Boris Mellor
March 5 2006

Arsenal have found the answer to their away day problems – play Fulham every week. Arsenal have scored 45% of their away goals, and 18% of all Premiership goals against them.

Yet before this game this result did not feel inevitable, as Fulham have one of the best home records in the Premiership. Indeed until yesterday it was every bit as good as the Gunner’s.

 Henry, who scored two great goals, was quick to praise the Gunner’s defending in his post match interview, indeed he spent most of his time on the issue. Indeed this has been a major problem, away from home, for most of the season, but so has goalscoring.

However few teams play real attacking football but the pressing game is alien to Fulham, either they win spectacularly or lose in the same way. Indeed they have an even worse away record than Arsenal, having lost 11 and won zero. They too have fell victim to the anti-football that dominates the league at present.

This was a vintage performance by Arsenal in the sunshine; Henry and Freddy ceaselessly tormented the hapless Volz. Fulham sorely missed Papa Bouba Diop; but Gilberto did his best to even things up on a couple of occasions passing the ball to Fulham who nearly scored. But Arsenal limited Fulham to 7 chances all match, whilst taking 18 themselves. Seven or eight goals would have been fair enough, indeed if Adebayor had been a little sharper the score would have been higher. Indeed Hleb laid on countless chances, as well as Diaby and Freddy. Flamini also showed startling pace as he overlapped like a real leftback.

If Warner had not had such a good game in goal the rout would have been greater, and no doubt on another day Adebayor will have more goals, as indeed should Freddy who was excellent in providing assists. Hleb also had an excellent game and provided a host of chances from in the hole, as well as on the wing.

This is just the game Arsenal needed before playing Real on Wednesday, as the Spaniards play just like Fulham, well not quite as badly, but with better players. But whether it is proof that the away day blues are over awaits far sterner tests.