Arsenal marched to a confident 2-1 victory over Fulham in the Premier League at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night, with Mikel Merino and the returning Bukayo Saka on the scoresheet.
Arsenal were in control of the first half, holding more of the ball and posing a greater attacking threat, and they eventually broke through the solid Fulham defence when Merino's strike deflected off Jorge Cuenca and found the bottom left corner, giving the Gunners the lead going into the break.
The second half saw both teams have significant chances to add to the scoring, but the standout moment came when Saka marked his long-awaited Emirates return with a close-range header just seven minutes after entering the pitch.
There was time for a late twist in the tale, as Rodrigo Muniz benefitted from a William Saliba deflection to make for a nervy final few minutes, but the Gunners managed to hold on to their lead as they secured the 2-1 victory.
SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT
Arsenal were tested at times by Fulham this evening, but the Gunners were strong in the defensive areas and impressed in the attack as they marched to a 2-1 victory.
Mikel Arteta will be delighted to have Saka back in the squad after multiple months on the sidelines, especially with the winger getting right back amongst the action, but Gabriel Magalhaes's first-half injury could be devastating depending on how long the central defender is ruled out for.
Despite being second best for large periods of the match, Marco Silva will be disappointed with the defeat - conceding a deflected goal, while Muniz missed a glorious opportunity before netting in the final moments.
ARSENAL VS. FULHAM HIGHLIGHTS
37th min: Arsenal 1-0 Fulham (Mikel Merino)
© Iconsport
Arsenal have the lead, Merino with the goal!
The Gunners work the ball to Jurrien Timber on the right side, and the fullback plays a brilliant pass behind the opposition defence for Ethan Nwaneri to chase.
Nwaneri cuts the ball back to Merino on the edge of the area, and the Spaniard takes a touch before firing a right-footed shot, with his strike deflecting off Cuenca and into the bottom left corner.
73rd min: Arsenal 2-0 Fulham (Bukayo Saka)
© Imago
Just minutes after returning from injury, Saka has doubled Arsenal's lead!
Declan Rice intercepts a poor pass in the middle of the park and the Gunners spring forward, with Gabriel Martinelli playing the ball to the left for Merino to cross.
Merino's cross is flicked towards the back post by Martinelli, and who else but the returning Saka is there to head into the net.
94th min: Arsenal 2-1 Fulham (Rodrigo Muniz)
They couldn't, could they? Muniz pulls one back for Fulham!
Ryan Sessegnon charges down the right hand side and breaks into the Arsenal box before looking to cut the ball across to Muniz in the middle of the area.
The striker meets the cross with a first-timed strike, and his effort bounces off Saliba and into the bottom right corner.
MAN OF THE MATCH - GABRIEL MARTINELLI
© Imago
Martinelli has been criticized at times this season for his inability to affect games on a consistent basis, but the Brazilian was instrumental in Arsenal's victory tonight.
The winger not only assisted Saka's goal, with a flick towards the back post, but also made five key passes and missed a big chance, while also completing two dribbles.
Merino also deserves a mention for his performance, continuing to perform in his new-found striker role despite being a natural midfielder - with the Spaniard adding another goal to his tally.
ARSENAL VS. FULHAM MATCH STATS
Possession: Arsenal 52%-48% Fulham
Shots: Arsenal 17-9 Fulham
Shots on target: Arsenal 4-3 Fulham
Corners: Arsenal 5-4 Fulham
Fouls: Arsenal 2-10 Fulham
BEST STATS
Mikel Merino is now Arsenal's second highest scorer in the Premier League this season with six goals 📈 pic.twitter.com/Hln74MTAiU
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 1, 2025
Six of Mikel Merino's seven Premier League goals have given his side the lead in a match.
— Squawka Live (@Squawka_Live) April 1, 2025
Opening the scoring at the Emirates yet again. ⚽️#ARSFUL pic.twitter.com/nENeJOZ9gV
10 - Ethan Nwaneri (18y 11d) is the second-youngest player across Europe's big five leagues to reach 10 goal involvements across all competitions this season (8 goals, 2 assists), only behind Lamine Yamal (17y 77d). Producing. pic.twitter.com/4a3d0wdt3a
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 1, 2025
10 - Bukayo Saka has now scored and assisted 10+ goals across all competitions in each of the last three seasons; the first Arsenal player to do so since Alexis Sánchez between 2014-15 and 2016-17. Back. pic.twitter.com/JVpYN4wrcS
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 1, 2025
WHAT NEXT?
Arsenal's next Premier League fixture takes them to Goodison Park to face Everton, though the Gunners will already have one eye on their upcoming Champions League quarter-final showdown with Real Madrid.
As for Fulham, the Cottagers face a challenging run-in to the end of the Premier League season, including tough fixtures against Liverpool, Bournemouth, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Manchester City among their final eight matches.
Ellis Stevens
