Arsenal have taken a huge step towards securing their first title in 22 years. Their comfortable 3-0 home win against Fulham, coupled with Manchester City’s stumble at Everton, leaves Mikel Arteta’s side in control. Both sides are in action this weekend, before City play their game in hand on Arsenal against visitors Crystal Palace on Wednesday.
Arsenal’s Resurgent Form
Reports of Arsenal’s demise were greatly exaggerated: they have wrestled back control of the title race. The victory over Fulham, coupled with City dropping points in that 3-3 draw at Everton, has placed the north Londoners firmly back in the driving seat. They are now five points clear with three games to go, although City can cut that gap to two by winning their game in hand in midweek.
After that 2-1 defeat away to City last month, Arsenal’s subsequent 1-0 home win against Newcastle United still felt like the performance of a team acutely aware of the pressure mounting around them, with the Emirates Stadium crowd’s tetchiness palpable.
That changed at the same venue last Saturday, when Arteta’s side blew Fulham away. Confidence surged further on Tuesday night, after a 1-0 victory over Spanish side Atletico Madrid secured their passage to a first Champions League final in 20 years. The nervous tension that had enveloped the Emirates was banished, replaced by a carnival atmosphere.
The mood music at City, meanwhile, is noticeably more subdued, although Jeremy Doku’s last-gasp curling equaliser on Merseyside did keep their hopes alive.
Dominant Display Against Fulham
There is a fair argument to suggest that Arsenal’s defeat of Fulham was their most fluent attacking display of the season.
The numbers certainly back that up.
They racked up their highest xG value of the Premier League campaign, and scored three first-half goals in a league game for the first time since November 2024, easing away from Marco Silva’s side and allowing them to withdraw the likes of Bukayo Saka, Viktor Gyokeres and Declan Rice early ahead of their Champions League semi-final decider in midweek.
Saka looked back to his best on the flanks, leaving Raul Jimenez on the floor as he chopped onto his right foot and fired the ball across goal for Gyokeres to tap home the opening goal, before pitching in with a well-taken finish at the near post himself to double the lead.
But perhaps the most pleasing display came from Myles Lewis-Skelly, starting his first game in midfield this season. Only centr