FA Premier League
ARSENAL (Merino 37, Saka 73)
FULHAM (Muniz 90+4)
THERE was only one story here: the return to action of Bukayo Saka, Arsenal’s best player and a talent whose absence through injury in recent weeks has proved the biggest derailment to the Gunners’ championship chase.
Of course, the script here demanded that he would appear from the bench and arrive to score the crucial goal in an otherwise lukewarm victory over Fulham at the Emirates Stadium.
With the title now beyond reach but little danger of slipping out of the Champions League qualifying slots, there may be several games like this before the season’s end.
It was a grim irony that even playing in the lowest gear possible ahead of the arrival of Real Madrid next week that Arsenal should lose Gabriel, a key component of any attempt to repel Mbappe, Bellingham, Vini and co, to an early injury. He looked in much discomfort as he hobbled off clutching his hamstring after 15 minutes.
So there was a one in, one out nature to the evening, and Arteta will be thinking carefully of how he will construct his defence to meet the Champions League challenge coming from the Galacticos from Spain.
Fulham, nursing an FA Cup hangover after losing their own quarter-final in that competition on Saturday to Crystal Palace, were typically well-organised but lacking spark to really scare Mikel Arteta.
And it felt like there would only really be one outcome once makeshift striker Mikel Merino saw his penalty box shot take a helpful deflection beyond former Gunmer Bernd Leno in the visitors’ goal eight minutes before the break.
Jurrien Timber had seen the best chance for a second blocked by Leno in the second half, before Saka, on for the last half hour, pounced to steer and unconventional but clever flick from Gabriel Martinelli’s cross into the net. The smile lit up the stadium.
He is a player who never looks bored or fatigued by the game.
One of Fulham’s own substitutes proved dangerous at the end. Rodrigo Muniz has already planted a close range header wide of the post when he found the net, again with help of a deflection in injury time after a pacy break by Ryan Sessegnon, but it was all too little too late for the Cotttagers.
On Saka’s return, Arteta said afterwards: “It was a good opportunity to see how much people love him and missed him. When you are away it’s good to understand who you are as a person and the reception he got was magnificent.
“He lifted the stadium and he deserved it because he does things every day. he is a good example.”
ARSENAL: Raya, Lewis-Skelly, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel (Kiwior 16), Partey. Rice, Odegaard, Nwaneri, Martinelli, Merino
SUBS NOT USED: Gower, Jorginho, Neto, Saka, Sterling, Tierney, Trossard, Zinchenko
FULHAM: Leno, Castagne, Robinson, Cuenca, Andersen, Diop, Lukic, Berge, Smith-Rowe, Traore, Jimenez
SUBS NOT USED: Bassey, Benda, Cairney, Iwobi, Pereira, Reed, Rodrigo Muniz, Sessesgnon, Willian
