At a Glance:
Arsenal beat Fulham 3-0 at the Emirates on Saturday evening.
The Gunners moved six points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.
The Citizens now play Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday night.
Arsenal extended their lead at the top of the Premier League table to six points with victory over Fulham on Saturday evening, ahead of Manchester City’s showdown with Everton on Monday night.
The Gunners deservedly strolled to a 3-0 win against the Cottagers, courtesy of a brace from Viktor Gyokeres and a strike from Bukayo Saka. This was by some distance Mikel Arteta’s side’s most fluid attacking performance for a couple of months, and they reaped the rewards by earning three points, which puts them in a commanding position in the title race.
City will be under immense pressure when they travel to Merseyside on Monday night. Not only will David Moyes’ outfit be up for it as their pursuit of a European place continues, but Pep Guardiola’s side will also have the psychological burden of knowing that anything but three points will significantly dent their hopes of winning the league.
Mikel Arteta’s response to Everton vs Man City question
In the early parts of the season, soft factors can be underplayed, with tactical factors much more prominent in analysis. However, at this stage of the campaign, with so much on the line, the emotional side of the game cannot be dismissed.
Nerves, momentum and the vibes contribute significantly to what happens on the pitch, and this has been evidenced in some of Arsenal’s recent performances. This dynamic might just be about to flip.
While City have games in hand, the Gunners have points on the board. Guardiola’s men have to travel to Liverpool to take on Everton in a hostile environment on a Monday night under the lights. They’d be forgiven for feeling the pressure, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they cracked.
Arteta, who will obviously be praying for a City slip-up, was asked about whether he will watch this game at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. His answer was fascinating, and also somewhat unusual.
“Yes, because I love football and there is so much at stake, I will be there,” he said.
Mikel Arteta asked whether Arsenal will huddle around TV on Monday evening to watch Everton vs Man City: "Yes because I love football & there is so much at stake, I will be there."
— Ryan Taylor (@RyanTaylorSport) May 2, 2026
So many players and coaches often claim in this sort of scenario that they won’t pay any attention to their direct rivals. They’ll regularly posit that they won’t stress themselves out by watching their counterparts’ matches and will instead go about their day doing other things.
For Arteta, this approach is unfathomable. He’s so invested in the title race, so desperate to win, that he’ll put himself through 90 minutes of torture in the hope of City dropping points.
This maddening psychological unconventionality should delight Arsenal fans. They have a man at the helm who is living and breathing the torment of this race, feeling every high and low moment as much as they are.
However, what makes this even more encouraging for Gunners supporters is that Arteta indicated that his team will watch the City game on Merseyside together. This means he’s cultivating a tight team bond and ensuring that everyone is bought in just as much as he is.
What Mikel Arteta said about Myles Lewis-Skelly after Arsenal vs Fulham
Away from the soft factors, a tangible aspect of Saturday’s game at the Emirates which will have delighted Arteta is the performance of Myles Lewis-Skelly. The England international was deployed in central midfield from the start for the very first time at senior level, and he delivered.
Lewis-Skelly was outstanding, dictating Arsenal’s build-up from deep, driving through the lines with conviction and providing defensive stability in the middle of the park. Speaking to the media about the 19-year-old in midfield, Arteta waxed lyrical about Lewis-Skelly.
Myles Lewis-Skelly was superb against Fulham. 👏
His game by numbers:
97% pass accuracy (64/66)
7 duels won
6x possession won
4 fouls won
4 final third entries
2 tackles
1 chance created
0 fouls conceded
Loved his new midfield role. 😍 pic.twitter.com/zrobFu4HDQ
— Squawka (@Squawka) May 2, 2026
“He fully deserves it,” he said.
“I’ve been tough on him. He had a spectacular season last year when he jumped into the first team. He had some difficult moments after that, but he stayed very humble, very focused, very aligned with what we wanted to do, and I knew he was ready.
“He’s been showing in training every day the opportunities that he had to play, he’s done it, and today he really stepped up, and I thought he had an incredible performance.”