Goals: Fulham – Arsenal – Played on 03/12/2023
Arsenal continued its campaign to win the English Premier League title, by defeating Fulham (3-0) on Sunday evening, in the twenty-seventh round of the competition.
Arsenal’s goals were scored by Gabriel Magalhaes (21), Gabriel Martinelli (26), and Martin Odegaard (45 + 2).
Arsenal’s balance rose with this victory to 66 points, by 5 points against Manchester City’s chase, while Fulham’s balance remained 39 points in eighth place.
The first quarter of the hour of the meeting was not filled with serious chances, and Arsenal broke the silence in the 16th minute when he scored a goal when Xhaka exchanged the ball with Martinelli before the latter directed a curved shot, which was blocked by German goalkeeper Brend Leno, but it collided with defender Robinson and settled in the net, however. That the referee canceled the goal after using video technology because Martinelli was offside.
But Arsenal managed to take the lead in the 21st minute, when Magalhaes rose to a corner kick carried out by Trossard, to head the ball into the net.
Saliba tried his luck with a long-range shot over the goal in the 25th minute, and one minute later, Arsenal added the second goal, when Trossard skipped Tite, before passing a cross toward Martinelli, who preceded Robinson and put the ball with his head into the net.
Arsenal came close to scoring the third goal in the 35th minute, when Odegaard returned the ball to Xhaka, who in turn left it to Trossard, so the Belgian international returned it to Xhaka, who was preceded by Leno, to reach the ball.
Martinelli passed the ball to Trossard, who camouflaged before shooting a curved ball away from the goal in the 38th minute, and there was the first real opportunity for Fulham in the 42nd minute, via a shot from Pereira, who took advantage of a wrong ball from goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, but his attempt was over the goal.
In stoppage time, Arsenal managed to extend their lead with a third goal, when Odegaard met Trussard’s cross with his chest, before hitting a low ball into the net.
Fulham’s performance improved at the start of the second half, and Reid put the ball in front of Pereira, whose shot bounced off Magalhaes and widened the goal in the 47th minute.
Saka executed a corner kick, which reached Martinelli, who hit a defender in the 58th minute, and Arsenal demanded a penalty kick after Saka fell during a joint shot with Robinson, but the referee ordered the continuation of play in the 63rd minute.
Fulham almost scored a goal in the 70th minute, but Mitrovic’s follow-up to a corner kick hit the crossbar.
The last quarter of an hour witnessed Gabriel Jesus entering the Arsenal squad after a long injury absence, and the other substitute, Reese Nelson, executed a free kick that bounced off his colleague Barty’s foot and went away in the 81st minute.
Jesus spoiled himself the opportunity to score a goal in his first match with the team after an absence when he hit a weak ball from a comfortable position, which was controlled by goalkeeper Leno in the 85th minute.
