Arsenal were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw against Fulham at Craven Cottage, missing the chance to close the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool to four points. Despite once again finding success from a corner, the Gunners were left frustrated after dominating possession but failing to capitalize on their opportunities.
Fulham took an early lead through Raul Jimenez, who broke free from Jakub Kiwior’s marking to fire a powerful strike past David Raya in the 11th minute. The Mexican forward’s sharp finish put Arsenal on the back foot, as Fulham defended resolutely against the visitors’ sustained pressure.
Arsenal struck back early in the second half with their now-trademark proficiency from set pieces. Declan Rice delivered a pinpoint corner that was met by Kai Havertz, whose header was deflected in by William Saliba to make it 1-1. This marked Arsenal’s 23rd goal from a corner since the start of last season, highlighting their consistency in this area.
Saliba’s goal survived a lengthy VAR review for offside, keeping the Gunners in the contest. However, the technology would later deny them a dramatic winner. Bukayo Saka thought he had secured all three points with a stoppage-time strike, only for VAR to rule the goal out due to an earlier offside by Gabriel Martinelli in the build-up.
Despite dominating large spells of the game, Arsenal were unable to break down Fulham’s defense again, leaving them frustrated and with just a single point to show for their efforts. The result marked another missed opportunity for Mikel Arteta’s side to close the gap on Liverpool, as the race for the Premier League title continues to intensify.
