I have slapped my knee with envy every time I have seen top sides fail to play well but then score from a well worked set piece so our goal was pleasing from that respect. And it was a well worked set piece, clearly something that had been worked on at training. Just look at the two runs from both centre backs and two players who finished as the best Arsenal players on the pitch. Koscielny sprung

It was scrappy, it was unconvincing, it was at times pretty poor but with four games left why would anyone really care? Manchester United have spent a decent sized chunk of this season doing just that, stumbling their way through games only to have the quality when needed to snatch the points.

Craven Cottage has not been a very kind place to us over the last few years so I was very apprehensive before the kick off, especially when we had given our all in trying to win the game against Everton. Everton themselves were way below par at Sunderland and lost the game, I don’t think that is down to coincidence.

I was quite happy with the way we started the game and enjoyed our build up play, the crisp sharp passing of Ramsey, Rosicky, Arteta and Cazorla was impressive but for the area outside of the penalty area. We did not support Giroud in enough numbers or indeed quick enough when the ball was played to his feet so it was often a case of the Fulham defence outnumbering one player.

It was nice to see the referee apply the rules when Steven Sidwell went in high on Mikel Arteta especially after the referee failed to remove Gibson for what was an obvious second bookable offence only a few days earlier. [Insert something about ‘it’ evens itself out]

Fulham were impressive on the break, they flew at us like greyhounds in search of Szczesny’s finishing line. Berbatov almost capitalised when Szczesny parried his strike from just inside the box.

Theo Walcott was not at his best, in fact he hasn’t been for some while now but I sympathise with him a little.

Given the responsibility to get into goal scoring positions, he continued to time some very good runs in behind his full back only for the man on the ball to ignore trying that pass. That was the benefit of having someone like Andrey Arshavin in the side, it might be a difficult pass to spot as well as execute but he would always try that pass. Tomas Rosicky kept things simple rather than trying to free the England man.

The only time Theo found the ball in that inside position he slotted past the keeper, unfortunately he was offside. I am not trying to excuse his performance but if he is in the team then I wish his strength was used more, even more so considering that other players were not making those runs in behind which would fashion chances for us.

Much of our football was in front of the Fulham defence and whilst it was tidy, it was ultimately ineffectual.

I have slapped my knee with envy every time I have seen top sides fail to play well but then score from a well worked set piece so our goal was pleasing from that respect. And it was a well worked set piece, clearly something that had been worked on at training. Just look at the two runs from both centre backs and two players who finished as the best Arsenal players on the pitch. Koscielny sprung to the back post, Mertesacker ran the opposite side and the Frenchman’s header looped onto the head of the BFG to head home from close range.

In the second half I was hoping that we would turn the screw and grab that second goal, preferably early but the team were playing with the now famous handbrake. The team know how much is at stake and we have seen it at West Brom after going a man down.

When the game is so important and you are leading 1-0 with a man up, your natural instincts would not be to pour forward in numbers to score another goal. A risky approach perhaps with the home side building up more and more pressure but can you imagine the outrage had we over committed and got caught out good and proper on the break?

When the ball ended up 50/50 between Giroud and the Fulham player I screamed win the ball, it was late in the game and we were under pressure, we needed to keep the ball, I would have gone for that ball also but it was a little over the top. It didn’t look intentional. I wonder if Arsene will appeal having looked at it once more.

If he doesn’t then I fully expect Gervinho to be given that role. Many are hoping for Lukas Podolski but unless his all round game is better then it is likely to be the Ivorian.

Hats off to Sian Massey for correctly denying Fulham their offside goal. Szczesny has got to stop spilling those shots, it has happened too many times this season and that does not happen with Fabianski. He is young so you expect him to be rid of that at some point. The sooner the better.

Ramsey deserved a late goal when he sprinted clear from a Wilshere pass but it was on his weaker side.

That was just about it, we offered very little in the second half, Fulham could have scored but they never. Unless there was an additional 25 points for artistic impression at Craven Cottage that I missed, I don’t care one bit.

At this stage getting in the Champions League should help us progress to where we want to get to. That is all that matters.