Gyokeres nets brace as Arsenal ease past Fulham | OneFootball

Arsenal produced a controlled and confident performance at the Emirates to beat Fulham 3-0, strengthening their position at the top of the Premier League and edging further ahead in a tight title race.

The Gunners wasted no time asserting themselves, taking the lead inside nine minutes. Bukayo Saka glided past Raúl Jiménez down the right and drilled a low ball across the face of goal, where Viktor Gyökeres was on hand to finish from close range. It set the tone for a dominant first half from Mikel Arteta’s side, who barely allowed Fulham a foothold.

Bernd Leno was kept busy as Arsenal pushed for a second, producing a sharp save to deny Gabriel Magalhães before reacting quickly to stop Gyökeres after Saka had fired the rebound wide. The pressure eventually told again just before the break, as Saka turned finisher this time, collecting Gyökeres’ pass and drilling a low effort past Leno at his near post in the 40th minute.

Arsenal weren’t done there either, adding a third before half-time. Leandro Trossard delivered from the left and Gyökeres stretched to guide a header beyond Leno, capping a near-perfect opening 45 minutes.

The second half was more about game management. Arteta used the opportunity to rotate, with Saka and Gyökeres among those withdrawn ahead of a busy schedule. Fulham did improve slightly after the break, with Timothy Castagne and Raúl Jiménez both having efforts, but David Raya was rarely seriously tested.

Riccardo Calafiori went close late on with a header against the crossbar, but Arsenal were already in full control. It was a professional display that underlined their attacking threat and sent them top of the table, at least for now, as the title race continues to build.

Incidents: The story of the match

Arsenal Official Line-ups:

David Raya, Ben White, Gabriel Magalhães, William Saliba, Riccardo Calafiori, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Viktor Gyökeres, Eberechi Eze, Leandro Trossard

Fulham Official Line-ups:

Bernd Leno, Timothy Castagne, Joachim Andersen, Calvin Bassey, Antonee Robinson, Emile Smith Rowe, Harrison Reed, Sasa Lukic, Harry Wilson, Samuel Chukwueze, Raúl Jiménez

1':

The match begins

9':

GOAL Arsenal: Viktor Gyökeres (Arsenal) scores!

Viktor Gyökeres scores goal number 13 in the competition (33 matches)

Bukayo Saka scores to make it 2-0, assisted by Viktor Gyokeres.

40':

GOAL Arsenal: Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) scores!

Bukayo Saka scores goal number 7 in the competition (29 matches) Bukayo Saka scores goal number 80 for his team (308 matches)

Viktor Gyokeres scores to make it 3-0, assisted by Leandro Trossard.

45 +4':

GOAL Arsenal: Viktor Gyökeres (Arsenal) scores!

Viktor Gyökeres scores goal number 14 in the competition (33 matches)

998':

The referee whistles for the end of the match