Will City bottle it?
Impressive first half sends Arsenal six points clear
Saturday, 2nd May — By Tom Foot at the Emirates
FA PREMIER LEAGUE
ARSENAL 3 (Gyokeres 9, 45; Saka 40)
FULHAM 0
ARSENAL actually played like Champions today, for the first half at least, in a sign that perhaps they are not going to collapse at the business end of the season.
There was no bottling to be seen and they were all over a woeful Fulham side that had been hit by a pizza-gate style “illness in the camp”, rarely looking like conceding.
But despite the convincing win, against a team ahead of Chelsea and chasing European football, fans will be wondering if a decision not to press home the huge advantage will cost them the title.
Mikel Arteta pulled off his best attacking players ahead of the Champions League semi final – and the subs failed to create the same intensity despite not letting the dominance slip.
The pragmatic win puts Arsenal six points clear and four goals to the good over City who have two games in hand.
Bukayo Saka was back to his sublime best in the first half, scoring a good goal and brilliantly setting up Viktor Gyokeres for a tap in finish after twisting Raul Jimenez inside out, making him fall over in the box.
Gyokeres headed in well just before half time – and should really have got his hattrick in the second half.
He played a clever pass to Saka for his goal and competed well against Fulham’s big men at the back when the long balls came.
Leo Trossard also stood out and so too was Miles Lewis-Skelly playing just in front of a back four in the Martin Zubimendi role.
Mikel Arteta said that Saka was taken off at half time for protection, adding: “He’s come back in the most important part of the season.
“He is fresh, his hunger is fresh. I think he needed a performance like that.
“We need to ramp up his load but we need to be careful.”
“”I think the pain has gone and that was restricting to deliver certain actions. I agree, he felt loose he felt relaxed and I think we had the Bukayo we know back.”
On Gyokeres bustling presence, Arteta praised his play “position wise, timing wise” and on Lewis-Skelly he said: “Today he really stepped up and had a wonderful performance.”
On the decision to start him in the central defensive midfield role, having rarely played this season at all, he said: “Maybe I should have done it earlier.
“But I have to do things when I think a player is ready. I knew it was a big risk, a player at his age who has never played this position
Storm clouds were looming over the stadium as fans came for the last day time match at home in the league this season.
The crowd was pumped and the players seemed to respond to it.
But the fear was still palpable, and Fulham rallied in the first half after a header from Riccardo Calafiori was caught offside by the VAR.
But Arsenal survived unscathed and Saka’s goal effectively put the tie to bed.
At that point it looked like Arsenal could go on and secure a much needed rout.
Four or five goals would have really rattled City.
But the winning recipe was torn up by the manager due to the looming semi final, and the game became disjointed.
Leo Trossard and Lewis-Skelly were the only players who kept up the first half form throughout the full 90.
William Saliba had a couple of dodgy moments and Ben White had a breif meltdown in the first half.
But Calafiori was strong and calm and David Raya made his typical big save although the shot was straight at him.
There was a nervous moment at the end when Fulham were four on three but messed it up.
Eberchi Eze had started in the central attacking role held by Martin Odegaard – and he is much more effective than the Arsenal captain, who many fans who happily see let go at the end of the season.
Eze is absolutely brimming with confidence and the thought of him forming a partnership with Saka on a regular basis is something to look forward to for next year.
There was an emotional moment at the end when Emile Smith Rowe pulled up with what looked like a hamstring after a half chance at the end.
He looked inconsolable as he trudged off despite the warm reception and the home support singing his old song.
As he was substituted, Eze was taken off for Max Dowman to play in the role he would have loved to have kept.
It must have been a painful return home for the academy Gunner who came through the ranks but could not quite make the top tier.
Dowman, who has a swashbuckling crowd-pleasing style a bit like Smith-Rowe, had a couple of chances while playing centrally, including one brilliant mazy run that ended with a wayward finish.
He does take risks though and hangs on to the ball a bit too much for this level of football when games are won and lost on the quick press.
Arsenal have not scored from a corner in what feels like an age but Calafiori crashed a header onto the crossbar late on.
Jesus, who came of for Gyokeres, was poor and no longer good worthy of the Gunners’ bench.
He was caught offside three times and surely his Arsenal career and massive wages will be stopped at the end of this season, come what may.
City play Everton on Monday night in what looks like the only realistic chance of them dropping points.
Arsenal: Raya, Calafiori, Gabriel, Saliba, White (, Lewis-Skelly, Rice (Trossard, Eze (, Saka (, Gyökeres (Kepa, Hincapié, Martinelli, Nørgaard
Fulham: Leno, Robinson, Bassey, Andersen, Castagne, Lukic, Reed (Cairney 63), Chukwueze )(Smith Rowe (, Wilson (Bobb 64), Jiménez (Cuenca, Diop, Lecomte, Tete,
