Viktor Gyokeres and Bukayo Saka put Fulham to the sword as Arsenal ran out comfortable 3-0 winners with an emphatic first-half performance.
The win, secured via a brace from the Swede who also turned provider for Saka, temporarily extends the Gunners’ lead at the top of the Premier League to six points ahead of Manchester City’s trip to Everton on Monday.
Here’s what the managers, players, pundits and stattos made of the action…
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Mikel Arteta on the win…
It was a great team performance, right from the beginning. There were some great individual performances as well, which is really important. We started the game like we wanted, very aggressive, very lively, great combinations, a lot of attacking actions. We got the crowd going and when the stadium creates that kind of atmosphere, we can make it very difficult for opponents.
Source: Sky Sports
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Fulham boss Marco Silva on a lacklustre Fulham…
We should have performed much better. It’s a disappointing afternoon and a disappointing result, we weren’t at the level than opposition like Arsenal demands. We were not at the level for the goals we still want to achieve. Losing four or five key players has an impact on what we’re trying to do, these type of things always have an impact and we have to be ready for it.
Source: premierleague.com
Myles Lewis-Skelly on getting a chance in midfield and the title race…
I just want to say thank you to the boss and the players for putting their trust in me. I feel like I needed to be ready today and I’m glad they took the chance. I loved it. We’ve just been saying [we need to] play for each other and play with intensity, then our quality will shine through. It’s well deserved for this club, it’s where we’re meant to be. We have to take this opportunity now, because it’s there for the taking. We see pressure as a privilege.
Source: BBC Match of the Day
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Mikel Arteta on Lewis-Skelly’s performance…
He has the ability to play in every position. He’s so gifted. He’s had to wait and be humble, which is not easy with what he did the season before. Today, he got rewarded for his behaviour.
Source: BBC Match of the Day
Paul Merson on Lewis-Skelly now challenging Zubimendi…
I’m so pleased for him. He got an opportunity and sometimes it’s so difficult to come in when you haven’t played a lot of football, especially in the Premier League, and to perform like he did. He kept it simple, he didn’t complicate anything, he played himself in the game – he did everything you want a young lad to do. He’s given Mikel a major headache because he gave you that energy, he lifted everybody, he played on the front foot, he got close to people. I’m a big fan of Zubimendi’s, but he’s been chasing the games recently. He nearly gets there – this lad was tight. Those simple passes give your top players that make everything tick together. I don’t think Zubimendi’s being doing that recently.
Source: Sky Sports
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Viktor Gyokeres on Arsenal winning well…
At this stage, we have to win the games that are left. We showed a good performance and are happy to have got the three points. I think we always go into games believing we’re going to play well and create a lot of chances. Today we did that and we enjoyed it. We never stopped believing. We’re not going to. That’s how it is and we keep going. We just need to focus on the next game.
Source: Sky Sports
Merson on Gyokeres…
It was the best I’ve seen him play. It reminded me of Haaland today – he went up against Andersen, he won free kicks. The prime example for me was the Saka goal, it showed what confidence he’s playing with. I thought the players trusted him a lot more, they were passing it into him and he looked more confident.
Source: Sky Sports
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Arteta on Gyokeres’ scoring record…
It gives some perspective of the difficulty and what Viktor is doing for us. We need players in a big and positive emotional state now, and he’s certainly one of those. He feels confident, he’s scoring very important goals as well, and that’s going to be key for Tuesday.
Source: Arsenal.com
Ian Wright on Gyokeres hitting 21 goals for the season…
I’ve said for many, many years that we need a striker. We get the striker and then people say ‘he’s not good enough’. The fact that people are still talking about him says ‘why, you’ve got one?’. 21 goals – 12 in the Premier League – says he’s done the job for us. He’s done it today, I’m sure against the teams we’ve got coming, he could put in the same kind of performance. If he only scores against those teams, that’s what Arsenal have always needed. We’ve always had no problems scoring against the top six, it’s the other teams, the Fulhams, teams like that we’ve had problems scoring against, he’s solved that for us.
Source: premierleague.com
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Arteta on Saka looking like his old self…
He certainly made a difference. He made two actions that decided the game. We know what he’s capable of. He’s come back in the most important moment of the season. Now he’s fresh, his hunger is at the highest possible level. And he needed a performance like that to impact the team. We need to ramp up his load, but he played 30-odd minutes in Madrid. He played 45 minutes today. We need to be careful because we need him on that pitch. I think the pain [in his Achilles] is gone. That was something that was restricting his capacity to deliver certain actions. Today, he felt loose; he felt relaxed.
Source: Post-game press conference
Arteta on Martin Odegaard’s fitness…
I think he’s going to be ready for Tuesday. He’s going to do everything he can, we need him, so let’s bring him to that pitch.
Source: Viaplay Fotball
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Arteta on a buoyant atmosphere…
I appreciate the behaviour and the energy that they brought to the stadium because it makes such a difference. When you feel that connection with them, we are much, much better. I know that it has to come from us, it certainly came from us today but we need to do it somehow, even when the team is not giving them probably the right reasons, because with that, it’s very, very difficult for the opponent.
Source: Post-game press conference