Arsenal’s title hopes hit as Fulham hold Gunners to Craven Cottage draw
By Robert O'Connor, PA
Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes were dealt a blow as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Mikel Arteta’s side had the chance to narrow the gap on Liverpool at the top to four points but turned in a lethargic first-half display in which Fulham neutralised their attacking threat with relative comfort and took a deserved lead through Raul Jimenez.
The second half brought an appropriate response from a team who sensed their hopes of chasing down the leaders might be slipping away, and when William Saliba’s equaliser in the 51st minute survived a lengthy VAR check the stage appeared set for the visitors to sweep to victory.
But Fulham showed admirable resilience in the face of renewed Arsenal pressure and demonstrated their own credentials as possible European challengers this season.
Bukayo Saka thought he had won it with an 87th-minute header before VAR intervened with an offside call against Gabriel Martinelli, as ultimately Marco Silva’s gameplan frustrated Arsenal to leave their title aspirations tottering.
Arsenal boasted almost 70 per cent of the first-half possession but departed at the break with virtually nothing to show for it. Fulham by contrast attacked sparingly but effectively on the counter, in between squeezing the visitors out of any space that might pave a way to Bernd Leno’s goal.
The opening goal was a crystallised example. Fulham had withstood Arsenal’s early dominance of the ball when Kenny Tete took possession in his own half and quickly delivered a measured pass into the channel for Jimenez to chase. Jakub Kiwior let the ball run across him, leaving Jimenez’s trajectory clear to race into the box and dispatch a finish low across David Raya into the corner.
Declan Rice sent Leno scrambling across goal with a half-volley that zipped inches past the post as Arsenal conjured a moment of rare first-half promise, then Saka caused rather less worry for the goalkeeper with a horribly skewed volley at the far post.
Arsenal were struggling to play their way into Fulham’s penalty area, finding the way barred by a coordinated defensive action. Saka found a valuable scrap of room inside the box late in the half but Leno was equal to his low near-post drive with a smart stop.
A rebooted Arsenal began the second half with new urgency and levelled within six minutes, with a set-piece once again reaping rich rewards for the Gunners.
Rice swung a corner high to the far post where Kai Havertz leapt to send it back across goal and onto the foot of Saliba who knocked it in from three yards.
The following 20 minutes were better than what had gone before from Arsenal but still fell short of Arteta’s side at their incisive best.
Thomas Partey headed wide from another excellent corner delivery by Rice, before Fulham gave a reminder of their own threat when substitute Andreas Pereira broke away and slammed a shot against the legs of Raya.
There was a nervous wait for home fans whilst VAR established that Martinelli had strayed beyond the last defender before crossing for Saka, preserving a creditable point. Anything less would have been cruel on Fulham.