England star Bukayo Saka had been out for three months with a hamstring injury
Arsenal's season hinges on last-eight Champions League tie with Real Madrid
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By MATT BARLOW
Published: 16:53 EDT, 1 April 2025 | Updated: 16:53 EDT, 1 April 2025
With Liverpool disappearing into the Premier League sunset, Mikel Arteta would have come back from his international break with Real Madrid on his mind.
He wasn’t admitting to that, of course. It’s strictly one game at a time in Artetaland. But he would have prepared for this game against Fulham and Saturday’s trip to Everton hoping to see his team produce cohesive displays, ideally with victories, goals for his forwards and a gentle return to action for Bukayo Saka.
More than anything else though, the Arsenal boss would have been praying for no fresh injuries ahead of the Champions League quarter final against holders Real, which starts here on Tuesday.
Gabriel Magalhaes pinging a hamstring inside 15 minutes was certainly not on the wish list.
The Brazil international, just back from World Cup qualifiers in South America, wore the despairing look of a footballer who suspects he needs a miracle if he is to take part in this illustrious fixture.
So, all those other things came in for Arteta.
Bukayo Saka celebrates scoring just seven minutes into his comeback after three months out
It's a simple finish at the back post for the England star and the 10th goal of a curtailed season
Mikel Merino watches his strike get past Fulham keeper Bernd Leno to put Arsenal ahead
Arsenal won to move within nine points of Liverpool at the top. They rode their luck at times at the back but overall were decent. Mikel Merino found the net once again, breaking the deadlock with another goal to his tally as a makeshift centre forward.
And Saka made an astonishing return from injury, off the bench to an incredible ovation and scoring the second within seven minutes, in just the right place to apply a simple finish nodded into an open goal after Gabriel Martinelli flicked on a cross.
Saka gave a little mile and a shrug, and it is wonderful to see him back but the significance of the night is Gabriel’s injury.
If he is out, Arteta has lost his defensive bedrock as he plots to keep out Real’s embarrassment of attacking riches, featuring Kylian Mbappe, Vinicus Junior and Jude Bellingham.
Fulham travelled across the capital on the rebound from the disappointment of Saturday’s defeat at home in an FA Cup quarter final to Crystal Palace. With the Wembley dreams shattered, boss Marco Silva challenged them to produce a positive finish to a fine Premier League campaign and aim for European qualification.
Silva made five changes and tweaked his usual shape to a back five, and sought to invite Arsenal forward, stifle them and try to counterattack at speed in support of Raul Jimenez, leading the line on the ground where he suffered the horrific fractured skull while playing for Wolves in November 2020.
The visitors were on one of those lightning breaks out of defence when Gabriel felt a hamstring ping as he crossed the halfway line on a recovery run. He hobbled back into the defensive and sank to the turf when the ball went out of play.
He seemed to know immediately that was the end of the night for him, and he was replaced by Jakub Kiwior.
The Spaniard has chipped in with six Premier League goals this season for the Gunners
There was a blow for Mikel Arteta's side when Gabriel limped off injured and, with a Champions League tie with Real Madrid upcoming, Arsenal will anxiously await a prognosis
We were only a quarter of an hour into the game. Arsenal had dominated the ball and swiftly resumed control as Gabriel trudged off down the tunnel to a ripple of sympathetic applause.
They squeezed Fulham back once more. Ethan Nwaneri forced Brend Leno into his first save, connecting sweetly on the volley with a cross delivered from the left by Gabriel Martinelli.
Leno was one of two from Fulham’s former Arsenal collection to start. Emile Smith Rowe also started with Willian and Alex Iwobi on the bench and Reiss Nelson ineligible because he is on loan and injured in any case.
There was further defensive alarm for Arteta when Justin Timber was caught on the left knee by Jimenez and required treatment, but he was able to continue and played a part in the goal scored by Merino, eight minutes before the interval.
Timber released Nwaneri with a pass slid behind wing back Antonee Robinson and he cut a pass back into the feet of Merino, who took his shot early and earned a little good fortune as it clipped Jorge Cuenca and swerved away from Leno.
Merino’s fifth goal in eight games since he was first shoved up front to cover the injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus.
Arsenal created plenty of chances despite their absent front men. Leno saved at his near post from Timber after a slick exchange with Martin Odegaard, Saliba headed over from a corner and Merino went close to a second with an effort deflected over.
Fulham, however, carried a threat on the break. David Raya saved from Jimenez and would have been relieved when Adama Traore pounced on a mistake by Kiwior only to drag his shot wide with Jimenez waiting for a square pass in front of an open net.
Saka came on and added the comfort of the second goal, and Martinelli saw a goal ruled out for offside before Fulham summoned a late flourish.
Rodrigo Muniz headed wide at the back post when he should have scored and Ryan Sessegnon planted a header straight at keeper Leno. These seemed even more costly when Muniz pulled a goal back in stoppage time.