Arsenal Held by Resolute Fulham as Late Winner Ruled Out

Arsenal missed an opportunity to close the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool after a dramatic 1-1 draw against Fulham at Craven Cottage, where a late Bukayo Saka goal was disallowed for offside.

Saka appeared to have secured all three points for the Gunners when he headed home Gabriel Martinelli’s cross two minutes from time, but the celebration was short-lived as Martinelli was adjudged offside in the build-up.

Fulham took an early lead against the run of play in the 11th minute. Raul Jimenez, latching onto Kenny Tete’s perfectly threaded pass, fired past David Raya from a tight angle, registering his sixth goal of the season. Arsenal dominated possession but struggled to break down Fulham’s well-organized defense in the first half, with their only shot on target coming from Saka.

The Gunners leveled shortly after halftime through a clever set-piece routine. Kai Havertz’s knockdown from a corner found William Saliba, who calmly converted to make it 1-1. Arsenal intensified their search for a winner, controlling the game and keeping Fulham pinned back for much of the second half.

However, Fulham showed resilience, countering through substitutes Harry Wilson and Andreas Pereira. Pereira forced a sharp save from Raya late on, reminding Arsenal of Fulham’s lingering threat.

For Marco Silva’s side, this capped off an impressive week. Following a spirited draw against Spurs and a 3-1 victory over Brighton, Fulham collected five points from a challenging stretch, defying expectations. Silva’s changes to the starting XI, including bringing in Tete and Jimenez, proved pivotal in securing a valuable point against a title-contending Arsenal.

With the draw, Arsenal remains six points behind Liverpool, having played one game more, as the Reds’ Merseyside derby against Everton was postponed due to Storm Darragh.