Saka’s magic Arsenal return does for Fulham but Gabriel injury casts shadow | Premier League

The Arsenal fans had come to see Bukayo Saka and when he took off his tracksuit, primed to enter as a 66th-minute substitute, red shirt vividly lighting the scene, it is fair to say there was a reaction. It was mainly a release. The three months without Saka have been hard, Arsenal’s Premier League title challenge slipping away.

There was certainly a script there to be written and, Saka being Saka, he grabbed the pen and set to work. Arsenal have an incredible home record in the league against Fulham – 24 wins, seven draws and no defeats before this. They were on their way to another victory thanks to a Mikel Merino goal on 37 minutes, the latest return from the club’s makeshift No 9.

Saka would bring the house down. It was Gabriel Martinelli, so fast and purposeful throughout, who ignited the move and when he got the ball back from Merino, the flick was improvised but made to measure for you-know-who. Saka’s header was true. He made a beeline for his strength and conditioning coach in the celebrations. Welcome back, Bukayo. And just in time for the Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid.

There would be a late rally from Fulham, who harbour hopes of European qualification. The substitute Rodrigo Muniz had missed a gilt-edged headed chance on 81 minutes when he jammed home a stoppage-time shot with the help of a deflection off William Saliba. An equaliser, though, would have been too much. This was Saka’s night.

He was never going to start, despite Arteta saying he was ready and the fact that when the winger has previously been available, he has pretty much always done so. There needed to be caution here. Still, the announcement of his name before kick-off drew a guttural roar. There was warm applause for him when he made his first warm-up run along the touchline on 24 minutes.

For Arteta, it was about beating what was in front of him and, also, tuning up for Madrid. Arsenal’s previous game – the 1-0 home win against Chelsea – had felt like a long time ago, which it was. It was 16 March. Arteta made one change from the lineup that day, Ethan Nwaneri in for Leandro Trossard. Continuity was a part of the equation.

So was avoiding injury. Which made the early loss of Gabriel Magalhães such a blow. The central defender had turned on the afterburners as Adama Traoré surged upfield on a Fulham break only to feel something go. He soon realised that he could not continue. Jakub Kiwior came on to replace him.

Marco Silva has made Fulham a tough nut to crack. His team do not concede many shots. He set them up with three centre-halves and the formation was 5-4-1 against the ball. Silva was determined to compress the space; for his players to bring the hustle. At the same time, they were cohesive on the counter, with Traoré prominent.

The Arsenal support chanted their old song about Saka and Emile Smith Rowe, with the latter back at his old club in Fulham colours. There was not much else for them to cheer in the first half until Merino did it again, forcing the breakthrough, albeit with a dollop of fortune.

Nwaneri had caught the eye with his close control in tight spaces, his feints. He also made a sweet connection on a volley in the 22nd minute from a Martinelli cross only for it to be too close to Bernd Leno. Now, he finally got in behind, making a run off Antonee Robinson and on to Jurriën Timber’s cute pass.

Nwaneri went inside to Merino but his teammate was surrounded. There looked to be nothing on for him as he sought a seam in between Issa Diop and Robinson. He jabbed a shot towards the near post that Leno seemed to have covered, especially as it lacked power. Which was when fate intervened, the ball taking a heavy deflection off Jorge Cuenca to go into the other corner.

Saka was out during the interval, going through a few passing drills. The crowd could feel the moment getting closer. Martin Ødegaard had seen a shot blocked just before half-time from a Martinelli pull-back and the captain would lift high on 51 minutes after an incision from the same teammate.

Fulham had their first flicker shortly afterwards, Raúl Jiménez slicing up the inside right to work David Raya and the game felt more open, quicker. Timber swapped passes with Ødegaard before blasting at Leno.

Martinelli was bright and direct, a performance of moments, including the nutmeg on Timothy Castagne and the run to the byline which ended with the winning of a corner. At the other end, Traoré robbed Kiwior and surged away from him only to drag wide of the far post.

It was time for Saka.