ARSENAL kept their faint Premier League title hopes alive with a gutsy 2-0 win over Fulham.
2024/2025 Premier League
2-1
Match Report
Saka had been out with a hamstring injury since December but marked his comeback with a goal from the bench.
Gabriel Martinelli flicked Mikel Merino's 73rd-minute cross onto Saka, whose close-range header proved to be decisive.
Arsenal lost Gabriel Magalhaes to injury early on but went ahead through Merino in the 37th minute.
Saka doubled the Gunners' advantage when he headed home seven minutes after coming on midway through the second half.
It looked comfortable for the Gunners following Saka's goal, until Rodrigo Muniz headed wide when presented with a glorious chance following fine work from former Arsenal playmaker Alex Iwobi.
Muniz made matters interesting, though, when he dragged home in the 94th minute, though it was a case of too little, too late for the visitors, who only mustered 0.81 expected goals throughout compared to Arsenal's 2.31.
Second-place Arsenal moved within nine points of Premier League leaders Liverpool, while Fulham remain in eighth, four points outside the top four, with European football still a very real possibility.
Back-to-back wins in N5 pic.twitter.com/oywhMsy8Oo
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 1, 2025
Data Debrief: Makeshift Merino fills in but Saka's return timely
With Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz and, until recently, Bukayo Saka all sidelined with injury, Merino has stepped up as an able deputy up front.
The Spain international has been playing a makeshift centre-forward role for Mikel Arteta and has now netted his sixth Premier League goal for Arsenal this season, his most in a single campaign in his league career.
Of Merino's seven Premier League goals (six for Arsenal, one Newcastle), six have given his side the lead in a match, while he has scored the winning goal in four of the five Premier League games in which he has scored at least once, the only exception being Arsenal’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool in October this season.
With Saka now back from injury, Arteta's attacking woes have been significantly eased. His 68th goal for Arsenal in all competitions was his first for the club as a substitute.
He has now been involved in 23 goals in all competitions this season (10 goals, 13 assists). Indeed, he is the third Premier League player to record 10+ goals and 10+ assists in each of the last three seasons, along with Mohamed Salah and Bruno Fernandes.
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
6' Martinelli bursts past defender but Partey's shot is poor and flies wide
15' Gabriel cannot continue as he hobbles off and is replaced by Jakub Kiwior
24' Applause around the Emirates as Bukayo Saka starts warming up on the touchline
27' Nwaneri has a shot which is saved by Leno
32' Jurrien Timber gets some treatment and is going to be fine to continue
37' GOAL! Merino opens the scoring from Nwaneri's assist! Arsenal 1-0 Fulham
47' Cuenca is down and looks to be in some bother as Partey caught his leg
51' Highlight from Arsenal vs Fulham
52' Raul Jimenez picks up the ball and hits a low hard shot but it's parried away
55' Timber get his shot away but Bernd Leno makes the save at the far post
57' Sasa Lukic is into the book for a couple of shoves on Myles Lewis-Skelly
58' Martinelli heads it down at the back post but it's blocked behind for a corner
60' Highlight from Arsenal vs Fulham
66' A first appearance of 2025 for Bukayo Saka and he replaces Ethan Nwaneri
73' What a dream return! Saka doubles the lead with a header! Arsenal 2-0 Fulham
79' Timber is replaced by Leandro Trossard and he looks like injured
82' How Muniz has missed that! The Brazilian heads wide in front of an open goal
89' Martinelli thinks he has scored Arsenal's third but he was miles offside
94' GOAL! Arsenal 2-1 Fulham (Rodrigo Muniz)
Line-ups
Arsenal XI: Partey, David Raya, Ødegaard, Merino, Rice, Gabriel, Martinelli, Saliba, Timber, Nwaneri, Lewis-Skelly
Subs: Neto, Trossard, Sterling, Jorginho, Zinchenko, Tierney, Saka, Kiwior, Jimi Gower
Fulham XI: Leno, Jimenez, Andersen, Traore, Lukic, Castagne, Diop, Berge, Antonee Robinson, Smith Rowe, Jorge Cuenca
Subs: Willian, Tom Cairney, Iwobi, Pereira, Harrison Reed, Steven Benda, Sessegnon, Calvin Bassey, Rodrigo Muniz