Saka Scores as Arsenal Beat Fulham 2-1 in Comeback Win

Post by : Omar Nasser

Photo : Instagram / @cbssportsgolazo

Arsenal won 2-1 against Fulham in a Premier League match on Tuesday. Mikel Merino scored again, playing as a striker, while Bukayo Saka made a strong return after being injured for nearly four months. Saka came off the bench and scored within minutes, bringing loud cheers from Arsenal fans.

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Arsenal took the lead just before halftime. Jurrien Timber played a smart pass that let young player Ethan Nwaneri move behind the Fulham defenders. Nwaneri quickly passed to Merino, whose shot hit a defender and changed direction, making it impossible for Fulham’s goalkeeper, Bernd Leno, to stop it. The ball rolled into the corner of the net, giving Arsenal a 1-0 lead.

The second half was full of action, with both teams creating many chances. Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard got a good pass from Gabriel Martinelli but shot the ball over the goal. Fulham almost equalized when Raul Jimenez ran towards Arsenal’s goal, but David Raya made a great save. At the other end, Leno also made an important save to stop Timber’s shot.

The best moment for Arsenal fans was when Bukayo Saka came back after missing many months due to injury. As soon as he stepped onto the field, the crowd cheered loudly. Within a few minutes, he scored, making the fans even happier. Arsenal’s coach, Mikel Arteta, called it a "beautiful moment" and said it showed how much people love and respect Saka. "It lifted the whole stadium and gave great energy," Arteta said. "It’s wonderful to have him back."

Fulham did not give up and managed to score a goal near the end of the match. Rodrigo Muniz found space inside Arsenal’s penalty area and kicked the ball past Raya, giving Fulham some hope. But Arsenal stayed strong and held on to their lead until the final whistle.

Even though Arsenal won, they had some bad luck with injuries. Two important defenders had to leave the match. Gabriel got hurt after just 15 minutes and could not continue. Timber also had problems early in the game but kept playing until he could not go on anymore. After the match, Arteta said the team would check their injuries the next day. "Gabby felt something in his hamstring, but we don’t know how serious it is," Arteta said. "Jurrien was struggling from the start but tried to keep playing."

This win helped Arsenal stay in the fight for the Premier League title, but they are still nine points behind Liverpool with only eight games left. Liverpool will try to increase their lead when they play Everton on Wednesday.

Arsenal now has a busy week ahead. They will play Everton in the league on Saturday before turning their focus to the Champions League. They will face Real Madrid at home in the first leg of their quarter-final match next week.

Fulham’s coach, Marco Silva, said his team was not aggressive enough to win. He admitted that they had many chances in the second half but failed to score more goals. Fulham’s dream of playing in European competitions is now harder to achieve, and they must improve in the last few games of the season.