Arsenal Held to Draw by Fulham, Saka’s Late Goal Disallowed

Arsenal missed the chance to close the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool, drawing 1-1 against Fulham at Craven Cottage after officials disallowed Bukayo Saka’s late winner for offside. Raul Jimenez opened the scoring for Fulham, latching onto Kenny Tete’s perfectly threaded pass and firing past David Raya from a tight angle. Arsenal struggled to create clear opportunities in the first half, producing only one shot on target through Saka despite dominating possession.

Mikel Arteta’s side equalized early in the second half with a well-executed set-piece routine. Declan Rice delivered an in-swinging corner that Kai Havertz headed down for William Saliba to tap home. Arsenal continued to showcase their set-piece prowess scoring their 23rd goal from corners since the start of the 2023-24 season under set-piece coach Nicolas Jover. The Gunners controlled the second half but could not break down Fulham’s disciplined defense.

Andreas Pereira nearly punished Arsenal on a counter-attack, forcing a late save from Raya. Saka believed he had secured victory with an 88th-minute header but VAR ruled Gabriel Martinelli offside in the build-up, leaving Arsenal frustrated. This result keeps Arsenal six points behind Liverpool, who have a game in hand and leaves the Gunners regretting a missed opportunity following the postponement of Liverpool’s Merseyside derby.

Fulham capped off a successful week by earning five points from matches against Tottenham, Brighton, and Arsenal. Marco Silva made key tactical changes including bringing in Tete and Jimenez, who combined for the crucial goal that earned Fulham a valuable point against title-contending Arsenal. Arsenal continues to dominate from set pieces but their struggles in open play highlight the improvements they need to make to sustain their title challenge.