Fulham vs Arsenal Review
Arsenal managed to secure a 1-1 draw against Fulham at Craven Cottage in the Premier League, failing to close the gap to leaders Liverpool. As expected, given their status as the league’s top set-piece scorers, Arsenal’s first opportunity came from a corner within the first three minutes. Declan Rice delivered the ball into the six-yard box, but William Saliba’s header went wide. Fulham capitalized on Arsenal’s missed chance eight minutes later, taking the lead when Raúl Jiménez received a through ball and skillfully shot into the far bottom corner.
Undaunted, Arsenal continued to press, with Rice sending a half-volley just wide after a nice pass from Leandro Trossard, and Bukayo Saka’s right-footed shot was saved by Bernd Leno, marking the visitors’ only shot on target before halftime. It took just eight minutes into the second half for Arsenal to register their second shot on target, which resulted in an equalizer. As expected, it came from another corner kick, Rice’s delivery was met by Kai Havertz at the back post, whose gentle header set up Saliba to score his second goal in as many matches.
The Gunners gained momentum, with Trossard cutting in and forcing a save from Leno, while another corner from Rice saw Thomas Partey squander a great opportunity to take the lead, heading wide when unmarked from close range. Fulham remained a threat on the counterattack, with Andreas Pereira shooting towards David Raya’s near post, but the goalkeeper managed to block it with his leg. In the closing moments, Arsenal looked more likely to secure a winner, with Rice’s long-range shot being saved by Leno.
Late in the game, Arsenal thought they had scored when Saka headed in a cross from Gabriel Martinelli, but the Brazilian was just offside. Fulham managed to hold on for a valuable point, while Arsenal will be frustrated for not taking full advantage of Liverpool’s match being postponed.
