FULHAM 0, ARSENAL 1

ROBIN VAN PERSIE keeps banging on about apologies but I bet he won't say "sorry" for this smash and grab raid here at the Cottage.

For although the Dutchman may have scored the only goal of the game, it was young Italian Vito Mannone who was Arsenal's real matchwinner.

The 21-year-old made only his second Premier League appearance last week but, on this form, it looks like he might be here to stay.

Last week's game might have been a stroll on the park in a 4-0 thrashing of Wigan at The Emirates. But he had to earn this clean sheet the hard way.

Mannone was easily the man of the match. He produced a string of stunning stops to break the hearts of a fired-up Fulham side who fancied spiking the Gunners for the second year running.

On another day, against another keeper, Fulham striker Andy Johnson would have walked away with the match ball, a bottle of champagne and the man of the match award tucked away in his pocket.

Two headers and a low shot were all goalbound - until Mannone intervened.

Clint Dempsey, Bobby Zamora and sub Zoltan Gera were also denied by the young gun's brilliance.

To be honest, he also had a huge bit of luck on his side too.

He knew next to nothing about Dempsey's point-blank effort in the 15th minute - the ball hitting him in the face and bouncing clear.

And on the one occasion he was beaten he saw Dempsey's deflected shot strike the post and bounce behind for a corner.

That didn't stop his Arsenal team-mates submerging him at the final whistle - they knew full well who to thank for their win bonuses this week.

Fulham fans could hardly believe it.

They gave their side a standing ovation off the pitch at the end after a stirring display that had the Gunners rocking.

But the harsh truth is that this is a third defeat in a week for Roy Hodgson's men and that must be a cause for deep concern.

They need to re-group - and quickly - in time for the visit of FC Basel here on Thursday night in the Europa League.

Mind you, Arsenal will also need to sharpen up for their return to Champions League action this week.

Van Persie's classic finish from an inch-perfect Cesc Fabregas pass did not deflect from a multitude of sins committed by the visitors.

They were lucky - very lucky - and I'm sure they know it. Wenger's men started extremely sluggishly and never really managed to shake off their lethargy.

It was the Cottagers who made all the early running, Dempsey firing in an early tester although stand-in stopper Mannone dealt with it comfortably.

An early re-shuffle then followed for Fulham as new signing Damien Duff limped off to be replaced by Zoltan Gera with just eight minutes gone.

And the Hungarian's first involvement caused consternation in the Arsenal box - a low ball crossed in from the left had keeper Mannone colliding with William Gallas as he raced off his line to collect.

Gallas needed treatment for a head problem - something his critics say he's needed for years!

Gera took encouragement from that confusion amid the Arsenal ranks and, in the 15th minute, fizzed over another superb centre from the flank.

Striker Johnson powered in a header and the busy Mannone beat it out - but only to Dempsey who looked poised to open the scoring.

Unluckily for him, but luckily for the keeper, his close-range shot hit Mannone in the face and bounced away to safety.

That near miss finally sparked a reaction from Arsenal.

In the 17th minute Fabregas broke through but skied over disappointingly from 14 yards.

Moments later, the Arsenal captain set up midfield sidekick Andrey Arshavin but the Russian lashed his effort over from just six yards.

At least Van Persie was 20 odd yards out when he ballooned his free-kick high into the stand moments later.

It was catching. Fulham skipper Danny Murphy, stupidly booked in the 26th minute for ignoring referee Martin Atkinson's instructions not to take a quick free-kick, sliced his long-range attempt well off target. But the impressive Gera had his sights set properly. Nine minutes before the break he drilled a low, right-foot shot towards the bottom far corner and only a flying, full-length dive and the outstretched arm of Mannone prevented the ball from nestling in the back of the net.

Which all meant the game was still goalless at the interval - and that was much better news for a lacklustre Arsenal than the far more enterprising Fulham.

And so it proved after the break as Arsenal finally got into gear.

A goal ahead seven minutes after the re-start and the mood among the home fans was sinking faster than the September sun behind the Riverside stand.

Not so in the Putney End, where the Arsenal supporters were basking in the glow of Van Persie's goal and the victory they were obviously now anticipating.

Nicklas Bendtner could have put the issue beyond any doubt just three minutes later but Cottagers keeper Mark Schwarzer was equal to his angled drive.

Credit to Fulham, they tried their best to fight back.

Zamora's cross picked out Johnson in the middle and he glanced his header goalwards but, once again, Mannone dived to palm it away.

Dempsey was there for the rebound once more only this time he dragged the ball across the face of goal.

The American ace was unlucky 10 minutes later, though, when he saw his 20-yard drive deflect off Bacary Sagna, off a post and behind for only a corner.

Zamora had a close-range effort blocked by Gallas and Johnson saw a low shot saved by the unbeatable Mannone.

But the Italian kept the best save till last - a terrific reflex stop to keep out Zamora's thundering header from just six yards.

Gera then became the former Atalanta star's latest victim with a late save to keep Fulham at bay.

OK, Arsenal might have sneaked a late goal of their own as the home side poured forward in a bid for an equaliser.

Bendtner and Eboue - twice - led quick counter-attacks but that would have been even crueler on Fulham.

One-nil to the Arsenal was bad enough.

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