Baird 37 (og)

                                                                                              Vela 84

Arsenal confirmed third place in the EPL, and their 13^th consecutive Champions League qualification, when their injury-hit side brushed past Fulham’s under-strength one at a far-from-full Emirates.

Arsenal could have won by more but for some fine saves by Fulham’s Australian international goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, notably from striker Robin Van Persie.

But a mistake by Schwarzer set them on their way on 21 minutes. He miscontrolled a backpass and ceded possession to Andrei Arshavin, who shook off the keeper’s attempts at recovering his error before firing home.

Five minutes later, the Gunners were two-up, Van Persie shooting home at the second attempt after his first shot was pushed onto the crossbar by the overworked Fulham custodian.

Eight minutes before the break, victory was sealed when Chris Baird stabbed a Theo Walcott cross into his own net after other Fulham colleagues had failed to clear the danger.

Van Persie wasted another goalscoring opportunity in a low-key second period, Schwarzer saving his first effort from a Bacary Sagna cross and his follow-up striking the post.

But Arsenal rounded off an emphatic win in the closing stages, substitute Carlos Vela dinking the ball over the on-rushing Schwarzer from a neat Samr Nasri pass.