The Emirates was witness to a tight affair between Arsenal and Fulham this evening, but Mikel Arteta's side came out on top after a late winner by centre-back Gabriel.
Both teams had made excellent starts to their seasons. Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has led his team to top of the table with a perfect record through three convincing victories.
Fulham also found themselves unbeaten in the league so far, earning a respectable point against Liverpool and a last-minute winner against Brentford through their most dangerous attacking threat Aleksandar Mitrovic.
Fulham gave the north London club a scare after Mitrovic opened the scoring in the second half after stealing the ball from the eventual match winner, leaving the Serbian all-time top goalscorer with the whole goal to aim at.
Arsenal responded, with dazzling footwork from captain Martin Ødegaard to trick the Fulham defence before placing the ball away.
Arsenal now sit on top of the Premier League table, with twelve points out of a possible twelve.
Story of the Match
Arsenal began the match on the front foot, looking to put their mark on the game early.
After Fulham's defence gifted possession to Ødegaard in the opening minutes, the Norwegian played a defence-tearing ball to new star-striker Gabriel Jesus, but overcooked the pass which former Arsenal No.1 Bernd Leno swiftly collected.
The Gunners kept piling the pressure, constantly lingering in the Fulham half, setting the tempo that would not change throughout the match.
England star Bukayo Saka and Ødegaard were relentless in their link-up play throughout the first half, with the pair consistently causing problems for Fulham.
The duo played neat one-twos within the box, with their constant movement and skill deserving of a goal.
However, the lead alluded Arsenal thus far.
Despite Arsenal's threatening attacks, Fulham defended exceptionally throughout the opening forty-five minutes, with Leno making numerous saves and centre back Tosin Adarabioyo making himself big to make blocks and astute enough to clear the Gunners' dangerous crosses.
Things became feisty, however.
After a poor tackle by João Palhinha on Saka, Gabriel Jesus and the Fulham midfielder found themselves in a minor tussle - the heat you'd want from a London derby.
However, Arsenal failed to break Marco Silva's side down in the first half and still had it all to do after the break.
Arsenal began the second half with the same tempo they ended the first. Arteta’s side had done everything right so far except score.
The Gunners suffocated Fulham in midfield, giving the west London side very little time on the ball.
All of Arsenal’s attacking threat was coming through Jesus, whose exceptional hold-up play allowed other Arsenal attackers to advance up the field to continue creating chances.
The frustration began to bubble up, after Anthony Robinson received a yellow card after a cynical foul on Jesus, resulting in a free-kick.
However, Ødegaard's subsequent free-kick led to a Fulham counter-attack, with midfielder Neeskens Kebano and Andreas Pereira being two against one, but the former failed to release the pass early enough before tripping over his own feet and missing a rare chance to go ahead.
Arsenal maintained their attacking dominance after Gabriel Martinelli reclaimed possession outside the area before laying it off to Ødegaard's, with the Norwegian midfielder testing Bernd Leno.
Jesus soon after had his chance saved by Leno, with the shot being too weak to truly test the German goalkeeper.
However, Arsenal would soon rue their missed chances.
Gabriel held possession in his own box, giving Mitrovic the opportunity to seize the ball from the dawdling centre-back and slot the ball past Aaron Ramsdale.
Arsenal, the architect of their own destruction here, had double the work to do to claim all three points at home.
Arteta sought to influence his team through the introduction of Eddie Nketiah, replacing Scottish fullback Kieran Tierney.
Nketiah looked to continue his goalscoring success from last season, where he scored ten goals in all competitions.
The Englishman nearly had an instant impact, finding himself in a dangerous area before the solid Fulham defence cleared the ball away.
But Fulham's defensive might could only last so long.
The ball came to Saka, who found Ødegaard in a dangerous area just outside the area. The Norwegian teases the Fulham defence with a few stepovers before placing the ball past a helpless Leno.
Game on.
Fulham nearly responded instantly, after Mitrovic latched onto a corner and headed it powerfully towards Ramsdale, who just about keeps the score level.
The Serbian, as is often the case, was Fulham's main attacking threat and consistently asked questions of Arsenal's edgy defence.
But Arsenal wanted the win and did not let up.
The Gunners kept banging on Fulham's door with attempts from Gabriel Martinelli and Ødegaard, but Fulham's defensive resilience prevailed.
In light of Arsenal's relentless attack, Fulham opted to protect the point against tough Top 6 opposition, bringing on former West Ham centre-back Issa Diop.
Arsenal continued to dig deep to claim the winner. They operated exceptionally within the tight spaces of the Fulham defence, with Ødegaard's passes attacking areas deep within the opposition half.
The lead was nearly Arsenal's through Nketiah, who floated unmarked through the Fulham defence and met Martinelli's pass with a thunderous shot but only managed to reach Leno's gloves.
Fulham hearts were in their mouths as the final ten minutes ticked down. Arsenal continued to be unrelenting in their attacking threat, constantly challenging Leno and the Fulham defence.
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Gabriel's Redemption?
Gabriel, responsible for Fulham's opening goal, made all Arsenal fans forget about his amateurish mistake.
Following a corner, Gabriel latches onto a loose ball following a scrap in the box and fired his team ahead in the 85th minute.
However, even a nervy VAR check on the goal was not enough to prevent the north London side from taking the lead and reclaiming their position at the top of the Premier League.
Fulham nearly spoiled Arsenal's winning start, but Ramsdale's heroic save from Nathaniel Chalobah's thunderous effort inside the box.
Nerves were racing around the Emirates from both ends, but it would be the home crowd who left the stadium with songs of praise for their side.
Fulham fought well at points throughout the game, but Arsenal were deserved winners in this London derby.
Player of the Match
The man who wore the captain's armband today with the dominance, style and leadership that Arsenal fans expect of their captain - Martin Ødegaard.
His poise and grace are well-known, and he captured it perfectly this evening with his beautiful goal to put his side level.
The link-up play between him and other attackers gave Arsenal that creative spark which made them so dangerous.