Arsenal secured a hard-fought victory against Fulham at the Emirates Stadium. Bukayo Saka marked his return from a three-month injury layoff with a crucial goal.
The England forward was sidelined by a serious hamstring injury. He came off the bench in the second half. The forward headed in a flick from Gabriel Martinelli at the far post in the 73rd minute. This was just seven minutes after entering the pitch with the score at 1-0.
The Gunners took the lead in the 37th minute. Mikel Merino’s shot was deflected into the corner after a cut-back from Ethan Nwaneri. Fulham defended deeply. However, they managed a late consolation goal in stoppage time. Rodrigo Muniz’s effort was deflected by William Saliba. This deflection deceived goalkeeper David Raya.
The win brought Arsenal within nine points of the league’s runaway leaders. However, the night raised concerns for manager Mikel Arteta. Centre-back Gabriel left the field early in the first half. He was injured. This injury cast a shadow over Arsenal’s preparations for the upcoming Champions League quarter-final clash with Real Madrid next week.
Fulham had their chances. Notably, substitute Muniz squandered a golden opportunity. He headed wide from six yards out with an open goal in front of him.
Arsenal, meanwhile, will look to build on this momentum. They face Everton in the Premier League on Saturday. Then, they will host Real Madrid in the first leg of their quarter-final on Tuesday.