Arsenal beat Fulham 2-1 in the Premier League on Tuesday as Bukayo Saka came off the bench to score the winner and keep up the pressure on league leaders Liverpool.
The hosts dominated the opening exchanges, with Gabriel being forced off with what looked like a hamstring injury before it all sparked into life as Mikel Merino made the space to squeeze through a shot that deflected past Bernd Leno.
That goal gave Arsenal plenty of impetus and they began the second half brilliantly, making their dominance count with several chances before Saka nodded home from a brilliant Gabriel Martinelli flick.
Arsenal rode their luck at times in a game of fine margins, with Rodrigo Muniz grabbing a consolation in stoppage time, but it mattered little as the Gunners held out to secure a deserved win in an accomplished home performance.
Follow all the updates from the Emirates Stadium with our live blog below:
Arsenal vs Fulham LIVE
- Arsenal defeat Fulham in the Premier League
- 90 +4' GOAL! Muniz grabs late goal to give visitors hope [ARS 2-1 FUL]
- 73' GOAL! Saka nods in as he makes his return to the side [ARS 2-0 FUL]
- 66' SUB! Saka makes return from injury as he replaces Nwaneri [ARS 1-0 FUL]
- 37' GOAL! Merino opens the scoring with deflected effort [ARS 1-0 FUL]
- 17' INJURY! Gabriel is forced off with leg injury [ARS 0-0 FUL]
Arsenal FC 2 - 1 Fulham FC
Arteta on Saka
22:56Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Arteta says that it “is impossible not to love” Bukayo Saka..
"[His injury] has been very tough for everybody. When you are trying to win the Champions League and Premier League you need your best players on the pitch so for him to be out for four months has been extremely tough.
"He has been connected and tried to help the rest of the players so that when he came back that made sure he was in a good position.
"I told him to stay focused on what you have to do on the pitch because it is a lot to do that with all the emotion as well. Stick with what you have to do and focus on those actions,” he adds.
Arteta reacts
22:50 , Chris WilsonArteta continues by saying that he thought his side deserved to win and “were very dominant, [and] conceded absolutely nothing”.
On the injuries to Timber and Gabriel, Arteta says that Arsenal "don't know how they're going to be."
"They are two players in this team who never want to come off. He [Gabriel] felt something in his hamstring.
Bukayo Saka’s fairytale return proves he has the potential to be Arsenal’s miracle-maker
22:43 , Chris WilsonSometimes the blatantly predictable is best in football.
A night built around Bukayo Saka’s long-awaited return from injury, Arsenal’s superstar winger marked his comeback with a goal as the Gunners ran out 2-1 winners over Fulham. A win that nibbled away at Liverpool’s hefty margin at the top of the Premier League table, Saka’s moment did far more than secure the points for Mikel Arteta’s side.
Arsenal started the day 12 points adrift of leaders Liverpool, but you really wouldn’t have been able to tell that going off the Emirates atmosphere. No matter what you think of the anthem, a rousing rendition of North London Forever preceded the contest, with the Gunners faithful remaining in full voice for the opening stages. He was only on the bench, but the impact of Saka’s long-awaited return to the fold was evident from the outset.
Saka’s fairytale return shows his miracle-making potential for Arsenal
Arteta reacts
22:35 , Chris WilsonArteta is speaking now, and he calls Saka’s goal “a beautiful moment”.
“[It was] a beautiful moment to see how much our people love and respect Bukayo.
The best result is the reaction and he goes and says thank you to the sports science guys,” he adds.
Rice reacts
22:24Declan Rice spoke to Sky Sports after the match, calling Saka “one of the best wingers in the world”.
“He attacks the box and sniffs the goal. You take them, he's in the right position at the right time and topped off a great night for him and for us.
"He gives us an outlet. All of our front players are so different and rotate so well. [Gabriel] Martinelli unbelievable tonight, real outlet for us and done well for Bukayo's goal. With Bukayo back it's a real boost.
“Most teams play back fives here now and it's down to us to break that down. You have to be mindful. It was comfortable but probably the last 10-15 minutes we were a bit naive and they could've scored two or three."
On the potential Gabriel injury, he adds: "I don't know what's happened, I hope he's OK because he's been arguably our best player this season and we need him for big matches and big occasions."
Managers comments
22:18 , Chris WilsonBoth managers are due to speak to the media soon, so we’ll bring you their reactions...
Premier League results
22:08 , Chris WilsonHere are the results from around the league tonight:
Arsenal 2-1 Fulham
Nottingham Forest 1-0 Manchester United
Wolves 1-0 West Ham
FULL-TIME! Arsenal 2-1 Fulham
22:03 , Chris WilsonThat result puts Arsenal nine points behind Liverpool now, though the leaders have a game in hand as they face Everton tomorrow.
Fulham stay in eighth, on 45 points, though they'll likely be overtaken tomorrow.
FULL-TIME! Arsenal 2-1 Fulham
21:50 , Chris WilsonIt was more tense than it should have been late on, and Arsenal maybe rode their luck at times tonight overall, but in reality it was a good home performance from the Gunners.
They certainly deserved the three points, dominating much of the game and limiting Fulham to fortunate chances throughout.
FULL-TIME! Arsenal 2-1 Fulham
21:42 , Chris WilsonThe referee blows the final whistle and it was a little more nervy than expected, but Arsenal take the three points!
Arsenal 2-1 Fulham
21:41 , Chris Wilson90 +6 mins
Time for an equaliser? Fulham sweep forward and Muniz’s cross is deflected behind...
It’s headed wide from the corner.
GOAL! Arsenal 2-1 Fulham
21:40 , Chris Wilson90 +4 mins
GOAL! Is there still time?
It’s simple stuff for the visitors, as Sessegnon picks the ball up on the wing and makes his way into the box before cutting it back to Muniz, whose shot deflects off Saliba and nestles in the bottom corner!
Arsenal 2-0 Fulham
21:38 , Chris Wilson90 +3 mins
That would’ve been some goal. Rice hits a volley after the corner is headed out his way, but it’s well over despite a great connection.
Arsenal 2-0 Fulham
21:37 , Chris Wilson90 +1 mins
There’ll be six minutes of added time here as the stadium begins to empty. Home fans seem confident that they’ve secured the three points here.
Arsenal 2-0 Fulham
21:34 , Chris Wilson89 mins
Another chance for Fulham as Sessegnon heads Robinson’s cross straight at Raya.
Moments later, Martinelli thinks he’s got his side’s third goal after a lovely pass from Merino, but he’d strayed offside.
Arsenal 2-0 Fulham
21:31 , Chris Wilson86 mins
He’s been brilliant all night but Martinelli wastes a chance here, having put himself through with a great first touch.
Saka was free on the opposite side and would’ve tapped in with a squared pass, but the Brazilian’s second touch was far too heavy.
Arsenal 2-0 Fulham
21:3084 mins
It’s pretty comfortable for the hosts now despite that Muniz miss – you do get the feeling Fulham have wasted their chances for the evening.
Raya collects a cross and Arsenal are just trying to nullify the visitors at the moment.
Arsenal 2-0 Fulham
21:27 , Chris Wilson80 mins
CLOSE! How has he missed?!
It’s a golden chance for the visitors.
Iwobi picks the ball up in midfield and makes his way into the box unchallenged, with Partey hesitating before the Nigerian winger puts a perfect cross in to an unmarked Muniz.
The striker is about five yards out but he puts his header wide of the target!
Arsenal 2-0 Fulham
21:23 , Chris Wilson76 mins
Some subs after that second goal, with Diop and Jimenez coming off for Ryan Sessegnon and Rodrigo Muniz.
For Arsenal, Timber is replaced by Leandro Trossard.
GOAL! Arsenal 2-0 Fulham
21:2073 mins
GOAL! This is brilliant stuff from the hosts.
Rice wins it back in midfield and ships it off to Martinelli, who beats two challenges before slipping it to Merino and making a central run into the box.
The striker makes the cross and it comes to Martinelli, who produces a lovely back-heel to flick the ball on to Saka, who simply has to nod into an empty net!
Arsenal 1-0 Fulham
21:17 , Chris Wilson72 mins
Declan Rice is the first Arsenal player in the book as he drags back Diop on the counter.
Arsenal 1-0 Fulham
21:12 , Chris Wilson66 mins
Huge cheers as Ethan Nwaneri makes way for Bukayo Saka!
Fulham make changes too, as Lukic, Traore and Smith Rowe come off for Andreas Pereira, Willian and Alex Iwobi.
Arsenal 1-0 Fulham
21:10 , Chris Wilson64 mins
A pretty big chance for Fulham but it goes to waste!
Kiwior tries to take the ball down but Traore dispossesses him and he’s basically 1-v-1. He leaves the Polish defender behind but scuffs his shot when he should’ve looked up and seen Jimenez alone, unmarked and with a chance at a tap-in!
Arsenal 1-0 Fulham
21:06 , Chris Wilson60 mins
A great corner from Rice nearly ends in a goal but Martinelli’s back-post header is cleared almost off the line.
At the second set-piece, the ball falls to Merino about seven yards out but his half-volley is also deflected behind!
Arsenal 1-0 Fulham
21:02 , Chris Wilson57 mins
There’s a second yellow card for Fulham as Lukic makes a foul, dragging down Lewis-Skelly near the area.
Arsenal 1-0 Fulham
21:00 , Chris Wilson55 mins
CLOSE! Great stuff from Timber. He picks the ball up in the final third and exchanges passes with Odegaard, with the one-two finding him on the overlap and 1-v-1 with Leno.
The Dutchman takes the first-time shot but it’s straight at Leno, who closed the gap down well.
Arsenal 1-0 Fulham
20:58 , Chris Wilson52 mins
Fulham’s first real chance of the game! The loose ball falls to Jimenez near the edge of the box and he bursts into the area before fizzing a low shot that Raya can only parry back into the box, though Lewis-Skelly is there to clear.
Arsenal 1-0 Fulham
20:57 , Chris Wilson50 mins
Much better tempo from the hosts to start the half and it almost pays off immediately.
Martinelli skips past Andersen on the left and cuts back a perfect pass to Odegaard, but the Norwegian is leaning back as he hits it and it goes well over.
Should’ve done much better.
Arsenal 1-0 Fulham
20:52 , Chris Wilson47 mins
Cuenca is down after a challenge from Partey but there’s nothing in that – he won the ball.
Nevertheless, there’s a brief stoppage.
KICK-OFF! Arsenal 1-0 Fulham
20:50 , Chris WilsonWe’re back underway at the Emirates!
HALF-TIME! Arsenal 1-0 Fulham
20:45 , Chris WilsonIt was a pretty pedestrian affair at the Emirates in the opening 45, but it sparked into life with that deflected Merino goal, and Arsenal have what was probably a deserved lead.
Fulham have offered very little going forward and will need to drastically improve if they’re to take anything from this match.
HALF-TIME! Arsenal 1-0 Fulham
20:39 , Chris WilsonAnother angle of Merino’s position as he got the shot away for the goal...
And here’s the result!
HALF-TIME! Arsenal 1-0 Fulham
20:35 , Chris WilsonHalf a chance as the half ends as Martinelli tries to latch onto a long ball, but Leno collects.
Right after, the ref blows the whistle and the Gunners head into the break with a deserved 1-0 lead.
Arsenal 1-0 Fulham
20:35 , Chris Wilson45 +4 mins
The visitors do enjoy some possession as the half comes to an end and there’s a risky header back to Raya from Partey – as Jimenez was lurking near the ‘keeper – but the Spaniard sweeps up the danger.
Arsenal 1-0 Fulham
20:3144 mins
Raya flaps at a cross and Fulham will have a chance got equalise late into the half.
Luck’s original delivery is headed away well by Kiwior, before Arsenal eventually win back possession.
There’ll before minutes of added time here.
Arsenal 1-0 Fulham
20:29 , Chris Wilson41 mins
It’s been all Arsenal since the goal, with the hosts enjoying plenty of the ball.
Odegaard latches on to a cutback and fizzes a shot against a Fulham body in the box, but VAR clear the penalty check.
GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 Fulham
20:24 , Chris Wilson38 mins
GOAL! It’s fortunate, but as soon as Arsenal get it moving they score!
Lovely play from Timber, who picks it up near the edge of the box and slips a perfect through ball into the path of Nwaneri.
The youngster cuts it back to Merino and the Spaniard has plenty of bodies around him, but he manages to get a shot away and it deflects out of the reach of Leno and right into the side-netting in the far corner!
Arsenal 0-0 Fulham
20:21 , Chris Wilson35 mins
Plenty of possession in the Fulham half for the hosts but it’s all too pedestrian at the minute, as has been the case in a few of their recent games.
Arsenal 0-0 Fulham
20:18 , Chris Wilson32 mins
It’s not been the most eventful opening 30 minutes at the Emirates, aside from that injury to Gabriel.
Neither side has had a ‘good’ chance to open the scoring so far, though the hosts are beginning to exert some dominance.
Arsenal 0-0 Fulham
20:1730 mins
It looks like Timber will be fine to carry on, much to the relief of Mikel Arteta.
The Dutchman looks okay as he runs back on.
Arsenal 0-0 Fulham
20:13 , Chris Wilson25 mins
It’s all Arsenal at the moment, with every single Fulham player behind the ball at times. No real clear-cut chances to report yet though.
Arsenal 0-0 Fulham
20:08 , Chris Wilson21 mins
A nice move from the Gunners as Martinelli makes the space for the cross and Nwaneri volleys on target at the far post, but it’s a fairly comfortable save for Leno.
Arsenal 0-0 Fulham
20:05 , Chris Wilson18 mins
Martinelli has already got the better of Castagne on a couple of occasions and it almost pays off again, but Odegaard can’t get the shot away.
Better from Arsenal.
Arsenal 0-0 Fulham
20:04 , Chris Wilson17 mins
It is indeed the end of the evening for Gabriel, with the centre-back making way for Jakub Kiwior.
The Gunners will hope it’s not serious with the Madrid game around the corner.
Arsenal 0-0 Fulham
20:01 , Chris Wilson14 mins
There could be trouble for the hosts here as Gabriel is hobbling around.
It looks like the Brazilian may be forced off here.
Arsenal 0-0 Fulham
19:57 , Chris Wilson9 mins
Nwaneri gets his first foray forward, but his touch is heavy and the chance goes begging.
Arsenal are growing into the game at the moment.
Arsenal 0-0 Fulham
19:53 , Chris Wilson6 mins
Arsenal are starting to settle in possession now after letting the visitors have a decent share of the ball early on.
There’s half a chance for the hosts straight away too, as Martinelli bursts past Castagne before his cutback is deflected into the path of Partey, who drags his effort wide.
Arsenal 0-0 Fulham
19:50 , Chris Wilson4 mins
Some decent early possession from the visitors in the opening stages. They advance to the edge of the Arsenal box but are forced backwards, though they’re recycling possession well so far.
KICK-OFF! Arsenal 0-0 Fulham
19:46 , Chris WilsonWe’re underway at the Emirates!
Arsenal reach decisive point in the season
19:25 , Chris WilsonThough many will claim that Arsenal’s title challenge has already failed, the Gunners are still about to enter a decisive point in their 24/25 season.
Perhaps more importantly than the Premier League, Mikel Arteta’s side have their Champions League quarter-final coming up against Real Madrid, with the first leg taking place a week today at the Emirates, before the return leg at the Bernabeu on 16 April.
If they were to progress from that round, they would face the winner of the tie between PSG and Aston Villa in the semi-finals.
And that may well be on Arteta’s mind as he tries to navigate the remaining nine Premier League fixtures, with his side still 12 points behind Liverpool.
Head-to-head
19:00 , Chris WilsonThese two sides have met a total of 59 times, with Arsenal winning 38, Fulham winning eight and 13 ending as draws.
Earlier this season, the two sides played out a 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage, while the Cottagers won 2-1 at home and drew 2-2 at the Emirates last season.
Match facts
18:50 , Chris WilsonArsenal have lost just one of their last 19 Premier League matches (W11, D7).
Fulham are unbeaten in their last three league games against Arsenal (W1 D2), only once having a longer such run without defeat against the Gunners (four between May 2011 and November 2012).
Team news
18:44 , Chris WilsonMarco Silva has made five changes to the side that lost to Palace in the FA Cup, with Calvin Bassey dropping out of defence for Jorge Cuenca as the Cottagers revert to a back five.
Alex Iwobi, Andreas Pereira and Willian drop out of the attack, and are replaced by Adama Traore and Emile Smith Rowe, with Issa Diop also coming in as an extra centre-back.
In attack, Raul Jimenez replaces Rodrigo Muniz.
Team news
18:39 , Chris WilsonMikel Arteta has made just one change to the side that beat Chelsea before the international break, with Ethan Nwaneri replacing Leandro Trossard.
Bukayo Saka returns to the Arsenal bench for the first time this year, though Arteta opts against starting the England winger.
The Spaniard uses his usual back five and stays with the familiar midfield trio of Odegaard, Partey and Rice, while Gabriel Martinelli and Nwaneri are trusted on the wings either side of Mikel Merino.
Line-ups
18:35 , Chris WilsonFulham XI: Leno; Diop, Andersen, Cuenca; Castage, Lukic, Berge, Robinson; Traore, Smith Rowe; Jimenez.
Subs: Benda, Bassey, Sessegnon, Reed, Cairney, Pereira, Iwobi, Willian, Muniz.
Marco Silva's Fulham. 💜#ARSFUL pic.twitter.com/9M28KI8Uhm
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) April 1, 2025
Line-ups
18:31 , Chris WilsonArsenal XI: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Martinelli, Merino, Nwaneri.
Subs: Neto, Tierney, Kiwior, Zinchenko, Jorginho, Gower, Sterling, Saka, Trossard.
🔴 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠𝙉𝙀𝙒𝙎 ⚪️
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 1, 2025
💪 Saliba partners Gabriel
©️ Odegaard in the middle
⚡️ Nwaneri on the wing
Let’s go, Gunners ✊
Match facts
18:12 , Chris WilsonArsenal have never lost in 31 home league fixtures against Fulham (W24, D7). It's the most home games one side has played against another without ever losing in English league history.
However, the Gunners have not won any of the past three meetings between these two, drawing two and losing one.
Who is Andrea Berta? Arsenal’s new sporting director who worked miracles at Atletico Madrid
18:00 , Chris WilsonArsenal have appointed Andrea Berta as their new sporting director - a transfer guru with a penchant for striking gold.
The Italian fills the void left by Edu back in November, arriving at the Emirates with a pedigree only ever seen at the pinnacle of football.
He is today one of the top executives in the game and has built a reputation for making miracles, doing so during his decade-plus stay at Atletico Madrid.
But it was through his humble beginnings that he quickly proved his worth, when he diched a cushty banking job to work in the lower leagues of Italian football.
Andrea Berta: Who is Arsenal’s new no-nonsense sporting director?
Bukayo Saka set to make Arsenal return after long injury lay-off
17:45 , Chris WilsonBukayo Saka is set to make his return from injury for Arsenal in a huge boost ahead of a crucial run of fixtures.
Mikel Arteta confirmed that the winger is “ready to go” for the game against Fulham in the Premier League on Tuesday after several months on the sidelines.
Saka underwent hamstring surgery after suffering the issue in December, but has stepped up his comeback in training and is in line to feature at the Emirates Stadium.
Bukayo Saka set to make Arsenal return after long injury lay-off
Arsenal vs Fulham LIVE
16:58 , Chris WilsonGood evening and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of tonight’s Premier League match between Arsenal and Fulham at the Emirates.
The Gunners are still trying to apply pressure on Liverpool at the top of the league, even if it looks nearly impossible that the Reds will drop enough points to allow them back into contention.
And tonight Mikel Arteta’s side face a Fulham team that are still hunting European football in some form next season.
We’ll have all the latest build-up, team news and updates here.
