Bukayo Saka made a triumphant return from injury, scoring a vital goal as Arsenal earned a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Fulham at the Emirates Stadium on a thrilling Premier League encounter.
Despite the win, the match was marred by a concerning injury to Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães, which has raised doubts about his availability for their upcoming high-stakes clash with Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Mikel Arteta’s side started the match brightly, looking to dominate Fulham early, but they encountered stiff resistance from a well-organized Fulham defense that kept the Gunners at bay. Arsenal’s relentless pressure paid off towards the end of the first half, when teenage sensation Ethan Nwaneri delivered a superb assist to Mikel Merino. Merino’s strike, which took a deflection off a Fulham defender, found its way past Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno, giving Arsenal a 1-0 lead and Merino his sixth league goal of the season.
In the second half, Gabriel Martinelli continued to torment Fulham’s defense with his pace and creativity, but it was substitute Bukayo Saka who sealed the win for Arsenal. Just seven minutes after coming on, Saka capitalized on a well-weighted lofted pass from Merino. Martinelli flicked the ball on to Saka, who calmly slotted it home to put the Gunners 2-0 up.
However, Fulham was not about to go down without a fight. They had a golden opportunity to pull one back when Adama Traoré delivered a pinpoint cross into the box, finding Rodrigo Muniz unmarked. Unfortunately for Fulham, Muniz missed the chance, sending the ball wide, and the chance went begging. In the dying moments of the game, Fulham did manage to pull one back when a shot from Rodrigo Muniz deflected off an Arsenal defender, wrong-footing goalkeeper David Raya, but it was too little too late. Despite the late scare, Arsenal held on for a 2-1 win, securing all three points.
The win was crucial for Arsenal’s title charge, but the concern over Gabriel Magalhães’ injury will be a worry for Arteta as the team prepares for their upcoming fixture against Real Madrid. Arsenal will be hoping that Magalhães’ injury is not as severe as feared.