Leandro Trossard stole the show and set a Premier League record as Arsenal cruised past Fulham with a 3-0 victory, restoring their five-point lead at the top of the table.
Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Martinelli, and Martin Odegaard all scored goals that contributed to the Gunners’ triumph over their London rivals at Craven Cottage on Sunday afternoon.
Trossard, who moved to Arsenal from Brighton for £27 million during the January transfer window, was the driving force behind Arsenal’s impressive performance, setting a new Premier League record by becoming the first player to record a hat-trick of assists in the first half of an away game.
The Belgian winger started off Arsenal’s scoring by assisting from a corner which Gabriel headed into the net to give Mikel Arteta’s Premier League leaders the lead. Just four minutes later, Trossard’s run and cross saw Martinelli extend their lead to 2-0. The Arsenal number 19 completed his hat-trick of assists with a low cross to Martin Odegaard in first-half stoppage time, sealing the game for Arsenal.
Speaking to SkySports, Trossard said:Â
‘I’m really happy with it as well. I always try to contribute with goals and assists, help the team going forward and today it went my way. I’m just really happy that we won and we can go forward from this.’
Trossard’s exceptional performance marked the second time a player has accomplished this feat this season, with Roberto Firmino scoring a hat-trick of assists during Liverpool’s 9-0 demolition of Bournemouth in August, although the Brazilian’s achievement came at home.
With five assists in nine games and his first goal for the Gunners in a 1-1 draw against Brentford last month, Trossard has been a significant contributor to Arsenal’s success.
Following the match, Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard was full of praise for Trossard, who provided the assist for his goal, highlighting his teammate’s outstanding performance.
‘I think he’s brought some amazing things to the team, I love to play with him,’ he told Sky Sports.Â
‘He’s always there to link up, he always looks for the combinations and when he’s in the box he’s good to find the right pass like he did today and like he’s done in the other games. Really happy to have him on the team.’
