Nothing stops the Gunners, who keep their main rival in the title race at bay, winner the day before at Crystal Palace (1-0).
Beyond this essential victory at Fulham, Mikel Arteta's players again impressed with their compactness in midfield, their tactical intelligence and the quality of their passing game, against the Cottagers, now eighth in the standings.
Rather borrowed in the first quarter of an hour, the leaders were stung by a goal which was refused to them because of an offside after a long check of the video assistance.
The way Arteta harangued them to remobilize them paid off as the former Lille resident Gabriel scored five minutes later after a cross from Leandro Trossard (21st, 1-0).
The Belgian striker who arrived from Leicester in January gave two other assists to Gabriel Martinelli (26th, 2-0), then Martin Odegaard (45th + 2, 3-0), demonstrating that he could be a solution for the position of centre-forward, the time to see Gabriel Jesus return to his best level.
The latter, who was inseparable from his team's good start to the season, also played again for the first time since his knee injury at the end of December, entering the last quarter of an hour.
Eleven days from the finish line, the Gunners have every reason to believe in an ideal end to the season, as indicated by a banner displaying the message "Believe" ("believe it") from a hundred of their supporters arrived by barge on the Thames, alongside Craven Cottage stadium.
Casemiro beats Manchester United
In third place in the standings, Manchester United could not do better than a draw (0-0) against the bottom of the standings, Southampton, a week after exploding at Liverpool (7-0) and after be reassured in the Europa League against Betis Seville (4-1).
Manchester United's Brazilian midfielder Casemiro comforted by his teammate David De Gea after his exclusion against Southampton on March 12, 2023 at Old Trafford © Darren Staples / AFP
The expulsion of Casemiro in the 34th minute of play, for dangerous play, did not facilitate the task of the Red Devils.
The Brazilian defensive midfielder had already been sent off in his penultimate game in the league, which earned him a three-game suspension.
But even before this turning point, Erik ten Hag's players had not been comfortable facing the bottom of the championship, determined to seize every opportunity, as during this strike from Theo Walcott repelled by David De Gea ( 24th).
The Saints even hit the crossbar in the second half, by James Ward-Prowse (54th).
The Mancunians remain third in the table, two points ahead of Tottenham and with one more game to play.
Also note West Ham's draw against Aston Villa (1-1), which allows the Hammers to temporarily leave the relegation zone, thanks to a better goal difference than Bournemouth.
© 2023 AFP