Fulham 1-1 Arsenal: Gunners drop points in title race
Fulham 1-1 Arsenal: Gunners drop points in title race. Arsenal failed to utilize the opportunity to move four points behind Liverpool at the Premier League summit as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Fulham on Sunday afternoon.
The Gunners fell behind early on at Craven Cottage, but went on to dominate the remainder of game, bringing themselves back level courtesy of William Saliba’s 52nd-minute equaliser. Bukayo Saka’s late header was rightly ruled out by VAR for offside, forcing Arsenal to share the spoils on the banks of the Thames.
How the game unfolded:
It was an incredible opening goal, as every Fulham player did touched the ball in the buildup to Raul Jimenez’s opener as the Cottagers strung 23 passes together. However, all of them were inside the hosts’ own half before Kenny Tete slid the first decisive ball along the outside of Arsenal’s shuffled backline.
When Jimenez gathered possession and steadied himself before picking out the bottom corner, it was Fulham’s second touch in Arsenal’s half during the opening 11 minutes.
The Gunners were only briefly knocked out of their stride, denying Fulham another shot throughout the remainder of the first half. However, the visitors offered little threat of their own in open play. As has so often been the case this term, Arsenal had to rely upon a set-piece goal to get a foothold in the game.
Kai Havertz span towards the back post, firing a header back across the six-yard box for Saliba to stab in his second goal of the week. Unlike his accidental effort against Manchester United, the Frenchman knew more about this finish.
Thomas Partey had a glorious opportunity to nod the visitors in front from another dead ball in the 70th minute. Adama Traore, who had been deployed as a human shield by the hosts at defensive set pieces, watched on from the substitutes’ bench while Partey had a free run on to an inviting delivery only to thump his effort wide.
Bukayo Saka made no mistake with a stooped header in the 88th minute, wriggling behind Antonee Robinson to nod in what he thought was the winning goal. Arsenal’s players and coaching staff had already untangled themselves from their mass embrace by the time VAR spotted that Gabriel Martinelli had needlessly strayed offside before swinging in the cross for Saka.
