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Generally the blatantly predictable is finest in soccer.
An evening constructed round Bukayo Saka’s long-awaited return from damage, Arsenal’s celebrity winger marked his comeback with a purpose because the Gunners ran out 2-1 winners over Fulham. A win that nibbled away at Liverpool’s hefty margin on the prime of the Premier League desk, Saka’s second did excess of safe the factors for Mikel Arteta’s aspect.
Arsenal began the day 12 factors adrift of leaders Liverpool, however you actually wouldn’t have been capable of inform that going off the Emirates ambiance. It doesn’t matter what you consider the anthem, a rousing rendition of North London Without end preceded the competition, with the Gunners devoted remaining in full voice for the opening phases. He was solely on the bench, however the affect of Saka’s long-awaited return to the fold was evident from the outset.
Nevertheless, Arsenal’s excessive spirits had been shortly dealt a dampener, reminded that the damage gods present no mercy. Inside the quarter-hour, Gabriel discovered himself on the deck, shaking his head and clearly unable to proceed. He limped off, with Jakub Kiwior approaching in his stead. Simply when Arsenal’s therapy desk appeared to be lightening up, Arteta skilled one more damage setback – exacerbating a disaster that has outlined the Gunners’s flailing title cost this time period.
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Arteta had fairly a easy answer to the briefly deflated feeling contained in the Emirates in gentle of the Gabriel improvement. On 25 minutes, Saka stepped off the bench to interact in his first touchline warm-up of the night time. Such a daily matchday prevalence for a participant, it evoked a spine-tingling ovation that rippled across the floor. So stirring was the reception that Fulham duo Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi couldn’t assist however put an arm round their opposing participant on the night time and encourage him to correctly absorb the adulation.
Saying that, the primary half of the competition reminded us that even with stretched choices, Arsenal’s right-wing berth hasn’t sat empty for the previous three months, determined for an injection of venom in Saka’s absence. The 23-year-old’s Hale Finish understudy, teenager Ethan Nwaneri, has in latest weeks confirmed himself as a menace to be reckoned with amidst an attacking damage disaster, and he began the Fulham conflict in the same vein. Latching onto a Gabriel Martinelli cross, he caught a candy volley to name Bernd Leno into motion for the primary time of the night time.
And after chipping away at Fulham’s so-far sturdy defence, Nwaneri was on the coronary heart of Arsenal’s breakthrough, dancing into the field earlier than pulling the ball again to makeshift quantity 9 Mikel Merino. The Spaniard initially appeared to have taken too lengthy with the ball, however as he stabbed an effort goalwards, his shot took an important deflection off Jorge Cuenca, taking it out of Leno’s attain and into the bottom-left nook. Arsenal had lift-off.
After the break, the Gunners sought to increase their one-goal lead, an ever-precarious benefit regardless of their first-half domination. A wonderful probability fell Martin Odegaard’s manner quickly into the second interval, receiving the ball close to the penalty spot on the pull-back from Martinelli. He may solely get underneath the ball, although, skying it excessive over the crossbar. Jurrien Timber then had a low effort from contained in the field well-saved by Leno.
That mentioned, Arsenal needed to be cautious of the Fulham break. They weren’t resistant to the counter, with Raul Jimenez and Adama Traore each firing efforts goalwards following fast breaks. The previous managed to check David Raya with a drilled effort, whose save was nowhere close to as complete because it ought to have been – parrying straight again into the hazard space the place, fortuitously for the Spaniard, no Fulham shirt was ready to faucet in.
Then, within the 66th minute, got here what we assumed can be the most important cheer of the night time. Saka graced a Premier League pitch for the primary time in 2025, and was welcomed by a monumental roar. Three months had been spent on the sidelines, a interval which has seen a title cost all however disintegrate. However on this second, none of that basically mattered. Arsenal’s starboy was again.
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What adopted simply seven minutes later will solely gas the agenda of tin-foil hat wearers that soccer is certainly scripted. Saka hadn’t actually had a contact of the ball but, however as Merino broke down the left wing, there he was on the back-post. Merino fired a ball in the direction of Martinelli, who produced an outrageous backheel flick to divert the supply into the trail of the returning winger, on a plate to nod right into a gaping web from a pair yards out. Every other day, that help would steal the headlines, however not tonight. Saka had marked his hero’s return with a purpose in what felt like the obvious payoff in sporting cinematic historical past.
Arsenal had daylight from right here on in and seemed comfy for a lot of the rest of the competition. That was till, three minutes into stoppage time, Rodrigo Muniz halved Fulham’s deficit. His deflected strike considerably made up for lacking an absolute sitter minutes earlier, the place he headed large of a near-open purpose whereas unmarked. However ultimately, it was too little too late for the Cottagers – a comfort purpose that solely amplified the cheer that got here at full-time.
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As Saka loved a half-lap of honour, there was a sense of optimism among the many departing followers – that after a turbulent few months, issues are lastly on the up once more. Whether or not or not it’s the pipedream of a miraculous Premier League restoration or the push for a primary ever Champions League title, Arsenal nonetheless have so much to play for this season.
Saka’s imminent return had already supplied Arsenal with a significant increase to morale coming into the Fulham’s go to, however by notching a purpose – and a decisive one at that – he made tonight’s win that a lot sweeter. A fairytale second, one Arteta hopes is not going to be the final from his starboy this time period.
