Bukayo Saka gave Arsenal their smile back after just 45 minutes against Fulham.
On his first start since mid-March, the England international scored one and set up another as Arsenal surged into a 3-0 lead over Fulham.
Saka’s Impactful Return
Saka first left Raul Jimenez in a heap with quick footwork, allowing him to square the ball for Viktor Gyokeres to open the scoring. Gyokeres then returned the favour, turning the ball around the corner for Saka to finish expertly inside Bernd Leno’s near post.
The goal ended a run of 11 games without a goal for Saka. It was the 24-year-old’s first at the Emirates Stadium since early December.
Mikel Arteta said Saka “certainly made a difference” and “made two actions that decided the game.”
Arteta added, “We know what he’s capable of. He’s come back in the most important period of the season, and now he’s fresh, his mind is fresh, his hunger is at the highest possible height, and he needed a performance like that to impact the team.”
Saka’s goal provided Arsenal with something they have been desperately short of recently: comfort.
It was the first time they have taken a two-goal lead in a game since their Champions League tie against Bayer Leverkusen on March 17. In the intervening eight games, the best they had managed was a one-goal advantage.
Changes in the Arsenal Line-Up
Arteta made five changes from the team that drew 1-1 in Madrid. The introduction of 19-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly provided some fresh impetus. He was making his first Arsenal start as a central midfielder.
Alongside Saka, Lewis-Skelly, Leandro Trossard, Eberechi Eze and Riccardo Calafiori, this was an Arsenal selection with considerably more swagger than recent iterations.
Saka signalled his intentions early on by crashing into a one-on-one duel with former team-mate Emile Smith Rowe. With a Premier League title at stake, this was no time for cosy reunions.
Fitness Boost for Key Player
Crucially, Saka looked to have his burst back. He has been struggling with an Achilles injury, but Arteta said that the issue appears to be behind him.
“I think the pain is gone,” the Arsenal manager said. “That was always something that was restricting his capacity to deliver certain actions. Today he felt loose, he felt relaxed, and we had the Bukayo that we know back.”
Gyokeres Joins the Score Sheet
Saka was not the only attacking player to impress against a poor Fulham side, laid low by a training-ground virus. Trossard delivered his most imaginative display in months, while Gyokeres turned in one of his most complete performances of the season.
The Sweden international profited from Arsenal’s first-half display with two goals, the first a simple tap-in and the second an excellent header from Trossard’s clipped cross. In between, Gyokeres’ hold-up play — including an unexpectedly deft pass — created the goal for Saka.
“He scored two great goals — position-wise, timing-wise as well, it’s something that we’ve been working on,” Arteta said. “It’s going to give him a big boost of ener