LONDON: Arsenal beat Fulham 2-1 in the Premier League on Tuesday thanks to another goal from stand-in striker Mikel Merino while Bukayo Saka struck a few minutes into his return from nearly four months out with injury.
Arsenal went ahead eight minutes before halftime when a cute ball from Jurrien Timber put Ethan Nwaneri round the back of the Fulham defence. He found Merino whose shot deflected beyond the reach of goalkeeper Bernd Leno into the corner.
The second half was a blizzard of chances for both sides.
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard blazed over from a Gabriel Martinelli cross. Fulham then nearly equalised when Raul Jimenez had a breakaway chance well saved by goalkeeper David Raya with Leno doing the same at the other end from Timber.
Saka’s return brought the biggest roar from the Arsenal supporters when the 23-year-old nodded in a flicked-on cross in the 73rd minute not long after coming on.
Arsenal’s manager Mikel Arteta described it as “a beautiful moment” that showed how much “our people love, respect, and admire Bukayo.”
“It’s not a surprise to any of us… It lifted the stadium, the energy. It’s great to have him back.”
It wasn’t a perfect evening for the home side though. Rodrigo Muniz got a late consolation goal for Fulham, while Arsenal defenders Gabriel and Timber both went off with injuries, the former after just 15 minutes.
Arteta told reporters that both players would be assessed on Wednesday to see the extent of their problems.
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“Gabby felt something in his hamstring, we don’t know how big that is,” Arteta said. “Jurrien was struggling very early in the game, he managed to continue but at some point he couldn’t.”
Arsenal’s victory means they trail league leaders Liverpool by nine points with eight games remaining. Arne Slot’s side could widen the gap again when they play local rivals Everton on Wednesday.
Arsenal also play Everton in the Premier League on Saturday before hosting Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final next week.
Fulham manager Marco Silva said his team had not been aggressive enough to win the game and push towards a European competition qualification place, although they did have a string of chances in the second half.
“What decided the game was that we conceded two soft goals,” Silva said.
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