Fulham 0-3 Arsenal: Trossard sends triple assists as Gunners maintain EPL top spot

The tennis courts were busy in Bishop’s Park on Sunday afternoon. Families sat outside the pretty bay window of The Tea House, eating the all-day brunch and watching the world go by. Cloncurry Street and Woodlawn Road have rarely looked more elegant and rarefied. It was, all things considered, a pleasant afternoon for a stroll by the Thames.

Arsenal got into the spirit of it. If there has been plenty of fire, brimstone, and brinksmanship about some of their encounters this season, this was a gentle jaunt on the cusp of spring. They sauntered past a disappointingly tame Fulham team without breaking a sweat. They made it look so comfortable that no one would have noticed if one of them had wandered off to watch the rowers on the river.

Their 3-0 victory, courtesy of first-half goals from Gabriel, Gabriel Martinelli, and Martin Odegaard took them five points clear of Manchester City again at the top of the Premier League with 11 games of the season left to go. Fulham have had a fine campaign and a win here would have taken them above Liverpool into fifth place but they never looked like troubling the leaders. Not remotely.

Mick Jagger was watching from the stands and at half-time, the stadium announcer played Start Me Up by the Rolling Stones. It sounded like a plaintive plea to Marco Silva’s side but the home team never got the message. They failed to make this any sort of a contest. Arsenal, who have the best away record in the league with 11 wins from 15 matches, are edging closer and closer to an improbable bonus.