Fulham and Arsenal battled to a 1-1 draw in an intense Premier League encounter at Craven Cottage, witnessed by a crowd of 26,954.
The hosts struck early in the 11th minute when Raúl Jiménez seized on a defensive misstep to calmly slot the ball past the goalkeeper. Arsenal responded shortly after halftime, with William Saliba converting from close range following a cleverly executed corner routine orchestrated by Kai Havertz and Declan Rice.
Despite dominating possession and crafting several opportunities, Arsenal found Fulham’s defense impenetrable during open play. The Gunners thought they had snatched a late winner when Bukayo Saka found the net, only for the goal to be disallowed for offside, leaving Arsenal frustrated and trailing league leaders Liverpool by six points.
Manager Mikel Arteta reflected on the result with a mix of pride and disappointment. “We deserved to win. I’m gutted we didn’t. The performance was there, but margins in football are so small,” he said.
The draw highlights Arsenal’s increasing reliance on set pieces for goals, a growing topic of discussion as they aim to close the gap at the top of the table. Despite the setback, Arteta remains optimistic about his team’s prospects moving forward.
