In their previous three meetings since Fulham turned professional, the Cottagers had won two but the Gunners had won the biggest tie, the 2001 FA Cup Final. But this was the first league match between the best two sides in the women's game and how the West Londoners enjoyed it. The win puts Fulham eight points clear and even though the Gunners have two games in hand it will be very hard to catch Gaute Haugenes side now.

And Haugenes was understandably delighted with his team's victory and felt that it was the best performance they had produced against their main rivals.

"I think we deserved it today. In the second half I think we were much better than them. I think we played our best game of the season, taking into consideration who we were playing. I think that it is the best game we have ever played against Arsenal because all the games have been very, very tight the whole way but today we were much better than them."

He was also full of praise for Moore, whose great technique, movement and finishing was too much for the Gunners back line.

"She gave a fantastic performance. It was a last minute decision to play Kristy in the middle and Una Nwajei on the flank. Kristy was very smart coming in behind Una. There were not easy chances for Moore because you have so much time to think but Kristy has a brain and she has worked to that recently to be calmer in those situations which she was tonight."

For a Fulham versus Arsenal game, though, the first half an hour was very poor. There was nothing of note apart from the early withdrawal of Faye White who suffered a knee injury in the 15th minute and could not continue, being replaced by Julie Fletcher. The post-match analysis makes her very doubtful for England's World Cup second leg play-off final against France next Saturday.

However, on 33 minutes the game burst into life and it was Arsenal who took the initiative. Fletcher played a lovely ball down the left flank that picked out Ciara Grants late run. Grant cut back inside Kim Jerray-Silver and whipped in a cross that was missed by Mary Phillip and ran into the path of the advancing Jayne Ludlow who somehow hit the bar from six yards. She should have scored and you felt at the time that they would live to regret it.

But the Gunners kept pressing and for a spell had Fulham on the ropes. On 40 minutes the diminutive Ellen Maggs beautifully controlled a ball by Leanne Champ before slipping in Angela Banks whose advance to the penalty box was abruptly halted by Mary Phillip, earning her a yellow card. The resulting free-kick was wasted by Maggs.

The booking stakes were evened up a minute later when Champ was cautioned for coming through the back of Kristy Moore.

And then the inevitable happened and Arsenal were punished for their earlier profligacy. Maggs picked the ball up on half way but with her team-mates advancing she skewed the ball straight to Rachel Yankey. The Fulham winger's pass found Moore who beat the Arsenal off-side trap and with a clean run at Emma Byrne in the Gunners goal made no mistake with her finish.

Within 15 seconds of the restart, Fulham should have sealed the points. Moore was once again one on one with Byrne but Champ nicked away the ball just when Moore was about to unload. Ten minutes later and somehow the Gunners again survived. From a Rachel Unitt corner mayhem broke out and Arsenal saved the ball off the line three times before it was knocked behind and to safety.

With 18 minutes to go Gunners boss Vic Akers went for broke. He took Pealling and Pauline McDonald off, replacing them with the struggling Sian Williams and the tall striker Ayshea Martyn, reverting to a 4-3-3 formation.

However, it was Fulham who were now in the ascendancy and looked the more likely. On 78 minutes Byrne threw it straight to Yankey who advanced into the area before squaring to it to Moore who again found the legs of the thankful keeper, somewhat redeeming herself.

But five minutes later and Moore secured the three points. She made another intelligent run in behind Yvonne Tracey and received a ball from Yankey on the right side of the area. Before Tracey could recover Moore had flashed inside her and this time curled the ball into the far corner.

Fulham, however, do not like to make things easy for themselves and within a minute Arsenal had pulled a goal back. Ciara Grant had a shot that rebounded off Astrid Johannessen legs to Martyn who slammed it home.

But that was all Arsenal could muster and Fulham now look certain favourites to win the title for the first time. The Gunners can still do it and as someone once said 'Football is a funny old game' but the only one laughing was Haugenes - seemingly all the way to the title.

Teams:

Arsenal (4-4-2): E. Byrne; K. Pealling (S. Williams, 72); F. White (J. Fletcher, 22); Y. Tracy; L. Champ; C. Wheatley; P. MacDonald (A. Martyn, 72); J. Ludlow; C. Grant; E. Maggs; A. Banks.
Subs not used: G. Ritchie; J. Price
Scorer: A. Martyn, 84

Fulham (4-3-3): A. Johannessen; K. Jerray-Silver; M. Phillip; K. Pedersen; R. Unitt; U. Nwajei (J. Wright, 89); R. McArthur; M. Haugenes; S. Duncan; R. Yankey; K. Moore.
Subs not used: J. Smith; R. Gibbons; D. Rahman
Scorers: K. Moore, 45; 83

Ben Rice