Arsenal crush Fulham in a dominant first half at the Emirates
Arsenal moved six points clear at the top of the Premier League with a convincing 3-0 win over Fulham. It was one of those nights where the team looked unstoppable in the first 45 minutes. Bukayo Saka marked his first league start since March with a goal and an assist, while Viktor Gyökeres hit a double to wrap things up before the whistle. Arsenal were sharp, direct, and played with the kind of energy a title race requires.
David Raya: 6/10. He had very little to do against a poor Fulham side. He stayed focused, claimed his crosses well, and dealt with his box without any drama.
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Ben White: 6/10. He tried to get forward often, though some of his passing was a bit off. A solid enough shift without being spectacular.
William Saliba: 8/10. Top class. He won all his headers, cut out every through ball, and looked completely untroubled. Saliba keeps showing why he is one of the best defenders in world football right now.
Gabriel: 7/10. Had very little defending to do, so he pushed up the pitch and almost assisted Saliba with a great cross to the back post. He was physically dominant all night.
Riccardo Calafiori: 7/10. Unlucky to have a good header ruled out for offside and hit the bar with another effort. He was a constant threat out wide on the left.
Declan Rice: 7/10. Ran the game from deep in the first half and didn’t give Fulham’s midfield a sniff. Arteta was right to give him a rest after the break.
Myles Lewis-Skelly: 7/10. Very calm for a teenager playing in such a high-stakes game. He pressed well, kept the ball moving quickly, and didn’t look out of place at all.
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Bukayo Saka: 9/10. He gave Antonee Robinson a nightmare in the first half. He skipped past Jimenez to set up Gyökeres for a tap-in, then scored Arsenal’s second with a sharp finish at the near post. Brilliant. At 24 years and 239 days, Saka is now the fourth-youngest player to reach 200 Premier League starts.
Eberechi Eze: 7/10. Playing the number ten role with Ødegaard out, he helped create the second goal with a smart ball to Gyökeres. His intensity dropped a bit in the second half, though.
Leandro Trossard: 8/10. Really effective. He kept running at Castagne and put in the cross for Gyökeres to head home just before half-time. His assist numbers are getting better and better.
Viktor Gyökeres: 9/10. Gyökeres is now the first Arsenal player since Alexis Sanchez to score 20+ goals in all competitions during a debut season. Two goals, an assist, and played with massive confidence.
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Madueke (sub): 6/10. Came on for the second half and ran directly at the Fulham defence, keeping them on the back foot without finding a final ball.
Martinelli (sub): 6/10. Brought his usual work rate to the left wing. He kept pressing hard and forced Fulham into mistakes even though the result was safe.
Zubimendi (sub): 6/10. Came on to keep things tight in midfield. Tidy, reliable, and did a good job.
Hincapié (sub): 5/10. Got some minutes at left-back for Calafiori. He didn’t make mistakes, but didn’t offer much in attack either.
Jesus (sub): 5/10. A short run-out up top. He worked hard, but the game was already over by the time he stayed on.
Dowman (sub): N/A. Not enough time on the pitch.
Arsenal had 14 shots in the first half alone. With Atletico Madrid coming to the Emirates on Tuesday, this was the perfect night for Mikel Arteta. Arsenal look like champions.
