Bukayo Saka made an instant impact on his return from injury, finding the net just seven minutes after coming off the bench to help Arsenal secure a victory over Fulham at the Emirates Stadium.
The England international, sidelined for 101 days, entered the game in the second half with the Gunners leading 1-0. He wasted no time in making his presence felt, nodding in Gabriel Martinelli’s flick at the back post in the 73rd minute, reminding fans of what Arsenal had been missing in his absence.
Earlier, Mikel Merino had given the home side the advantage in the 37th minute, with his shot deflecting into the corner after Ethan Nwaneri’s precise cut-back.
Fulham, who had defended resolutely for most of the match, managed to pull a goal back deep into stoppage time. Rodrigo Muniz’s strike took a wicked deflection off William Saliba, wrong-footing goalkeeper David Raya and reducing the deficit.
The victory brought Arsenal within nine points of Premier League leaders Liverpool, but it wasn’t all good news for Mikel Arteta’s side. Despite Saka’s successful return, centre-back Gabriel was forced off early in the first half, a potential setback ahead of their Champions League quarter-final clash with Real Madrid next week.
Fulham had other opportunities to score earlier, most notably when Muniz failed to convert a golden chance from close range, heading wide when he should have found the net.
