Third-choice keeper Mannone first-class, says Wenger

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger hailed third-choice goalkeeper Vito Mannone after his team’s 1-0 win at Fulham, believing the hard-earned three points could be a turning point in the season.

The Italian 21-year-old produced a string of outstanding saves to deny Roy Hodgson’s side before Robin Van Persie claimed victory with an excellently taken 52nd-minute goal.

Wenger admitted the win owed everything to the young Italian who was brought in after first choice Manuel Almunia was laid low with a chest infection and number two Lukasz Fabianski sidelined after a knee operation.

Mannone now looks likely to play in Tuesday’s Champions League meeting with Olympiakos.

“I believe you would give him 10 out of 10 because everything he did was right, and for a goalkeeper, that is the most important,” said Wenger.

“He stopped everything he had to stop and did not make any wrong decision. Overall he has shown he has the potential to be a very good goalkeeper.

“He kept us in the game and some of his saves were unbelievable at the time. Sometimes you say a goalkeeper looks unbeatable and he didn’t look as though he could be beaten today.”

Successive away defeats at Manchester United and Manchester City had delivered early blows to Arsenal’s hopes of sustaining a title challenge this season.

But Wenger believes Saturday’s testing examination at Craven Cottage could prove key to the Gunners’ Premier League hopes.

“We showed great spirit today. I’m very optimistic about this team because what I have seen today means there is something in this team that can go from strength to strength,” said the manager.

Hodgson could take little comfort from his Fulham side’s performance that was tarnished only by a failure to find a route past Mannone.

The Cottagers have now lost four out of their last five league games and while the distraction of the forthcoming Europa League meeting with Basel lies ahead, the manager is more concerned with getting points on the board and moving up the Premier League table.

“At the moment it’s very difficult to take positives from this game because of the disappointment of losing,” he said. “I thought we were good value for 0-0 at half-time and looking forward to improving in the second half.

“I didn’t think it was a bad performance from us at all. We defended well and attacked well against one of the Premier League’s better teams. All these things are balm for the wound but it is the wound that is the major problem.”

Irish winger Damien Duff hobbled off after just eight minutes with a calf injury and Hodgson admitted it was a cause for concern.

He said: “Damien Duff felt something go in his calf. There was no collision, it was just something that happened when he was running. It was a freak injury. We’ve no indication how long he will be out.”