GUNNED DOWN
Fulham 2 Arsenal 1: Gunners pick up just one point in dismal festive period and miss chance to go top of table
Another setback in the title race for the Gunners
IT seems as if Arsenal’s title-race capitulation is coming early as Mikel Arteta’s men suffered their first back-to-back Premier League defeats since last season’s late choke.
An out-of-form Fulham side roared back from behind to end 2023 on a high, with Bobby De Cordova-Reid firing a second-half winner after Raul Jimenez’s equaliser cancelled out Bukayo Saka’s early opener.
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The Gunners blew the chance to end the year on top of the table, and are instead marooned in fourth place as they followed a home defeat by West Ham with a second London derby defeat in three days.
It was an untidy, disjointed display from Arsenal, who deserved their defeat - with Fulham looking fresher and sharper across the pitch.
Arteta dropped Gabriel Jesus, who had a stinker against West Ham, and was forced to play Jakub Kiwior at left-back with Oleksandr Zinchenko, sidelined by a calf strain.
Fulham were afforded 53 hours more rest than the Gunners and they welcomed back centre-forward Raul Jimenez from suspension and Willian from injury.
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Yet their previous two performances, in defeats by Burnley and Bournemouth, had been their worst back-to-back displays under Silva.
Martin Odegaard had already bent a shot narrowly wide of the far post before Arsenal went ahead inside five minutes.
With Fulham right-back Timothy Castagne caught upfield, David Raya rolled it to Gabriel Martinelli, who darted down the left, cut inside and drilled a shot which Bernd Leno could only push into the path of Saka, who stabbed home.
It was the perfect start for Arteta’s men but they failed to take a stranglehold on the game and Fulham began to pass and move with purpose.
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One sweeping attack ended with Anthonee Robinson centring for Jimenez, whose shot was saved by Raya.
With Arsenal looking sluggish and scruffy at times, Willian curled a shot just wide.
And midway through the first half, the home side were level.
Calvin Bassey, excellent in central defence, won possession and fed Joao Palhinha, Willian then found Tom Cairney who delivered a cunning, curving low centre for Jimenez to side-foot home at the back post.
It was the Mexican’s fourth goal in as many appearances in a run which also included a straight red card.
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This jolt scarcely propelled Arsenal into life, although Martinelli screwed a close-range shot wide before the break.
The Gunners had been second-best and at half-time, Arteta swapped Kiwior for Takehiro Tomiyasu at left-back.
It made little immediate difference as the momentum stayed with Fulham, who seized the lead just before the hour.
It was the second time in as many games that Arsenal had conceded from a corner, although there was an element of misfortune about this one.
Willian’s centre was met by a Palhinha header but it cannoned off Declan Rice, then Tomiyasu, allowing De Cordova-Reid to tap home from inside the six-yard box.
It was no less than Fulham deserved but Arsenal ought to have been level soon after.
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Martinelli crossed from the right, Bassey and Robinson went for the same header and the ball for an unmarked Saka, who volleyed over when he had the time to take the ball down.
Odegaard fired a 25-yard free-kick over before Arteta sent on Jesus and Leandro Trossard for Martinelli and Ben White, switching to a back three.
Suddenly, Craven Cottage was struck by a brief cyclone, the wind and rain sending supporters scattering from the front rows and making any sort of passing football temporarily impossible.
As the weather abated, Arsenal enjoyed a sustained spell of pressure but were unable to break down a dogged Fulham, with the monstrous Palhinha executing a ferocious tackle in the penalty area to rob Saka.
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Fulham fans were howling for a William Saliba red card when the Frenchman’s cynical challenge denied Harry Wilson a clear route to goal - but ref Josh Smith was correct in showing only a yellow as Gabriel was covering.
Andrea Pereira crashed the resulting free-kick against the bar and Arsenal were rocking alarmingly.
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