**Arsenal**marked their Premier League return with a 2-1 win over Fulham at the Emirates Stadium.
Bukayo Saka stepped onto the field for the first time in three and a half months, settling the score after Mikel Merino made the difference before the break. Rodrigo Muniz could have scored more than once in a final flurry of action from the Cottagers, but all three points belonged to the Gunners.
Here are four things we learnt from the triumph for Arsenal:
Bukayo is back
Fans have been yearning for the return of Saka since he picked up a hamstring injury at the end of 2024. He has finally returned to the field, and it felt as if the number seven had never been away.
In under ten minutes, Saka slotted the ball into the net. Now, only **Kai Havertz**has scored more than his six league goals in the squad and his ten assists represent the best tally in the team by a distance.
His decisiveness in the final third has grown year on year. But the influence of the 23-year-old transcends his output. His strength on the ball and clever movement make more options available on the right side for Martin Odegaard, who looked livelier during the final stages of the match.
But much more than that, Saka brings belief at a time when the club craves an uplift. His celebration with Sam Wilson, one of the figures behind the scenes, signals an attitude of gratitude that has made him an exemplary character off the field. On the pitch, he slotted straight into his role of raising the level of the offense. It is no wonder Arteta felt the talisman "lifted the stadium" with his presence.
**Arsenal**have seen some of the worst that can happen without their star boy and will want to raise the floor of the offense in the summer. For now, if anyone is the difference maker, be assured it is Saka.
The sight of Saka in the squad and on the field fired up fans at the start and the end of the contest. But between those two moments, the squad suffered two more serious blows that might mar the campaign.
One lynchpin in, one lynchpin out?
Inside the first fifteen minutes, **Gabriel Magalhaes**made a recovery run that caused him discomfort. The ball did not go out of play for almost two minutes, and he fell to the floor clutching his hamstring. Within the first half hour, the medical staff then attended to Jurrien Timber, who had a knee issue.
Timber was, at least, able to last until the 78th minute as he came off for Leandro Trossard once the victory appeared to be in the bag. But the club cannot catch a clean break with injuries this campaign.
Having been without Gabriel Martinelli, Saka, or Kai Havertz for most of February and the first week of March, Arteta must manage a back four that also lacks **Riccardo Calafiori**or Ben White.
In the case of the three forwards, who all also had hamstring issues, it appears that the absence of squad depth and lack of load management has caught up with the squad this year. Gabriel, the rock of the rearguard, is no different as Jakub Kiwior is a sizeable drop off in quality from the Brazilian.
Injuries force Arteta to compromise on the ideal use of his players. After being a part of the **England**camp, Myles Lewis-Skelly might have benefited from not facing the fresh legs of Ryan Sessegnon.
For Timber, who missed most of last season with an ACL injury, it is a minor miracle he has only now suffered a scare to his health. The summer, and time to rest, cannot come soon enough for this side.
Marginalised men step up in the attack
**Gabriel**goes down as a major miss. But one of his compatriots claimed credit for his display.
Gabriel Martinelli has become a maligned figure since his haul of 15 goals in the 2022/23 season. Last night, he reminded everyone why, at that time, he was in conversations with the team's talisman.
Martinelli, an agemate of Saka, could still have gears to go up during his career. But one aspect of his game that has always made him a unique player in the squad is his raw athleticism. If he can channel his directness and pace like in the build-up for the second goal, he still serves as an invaluable weapon.
Meanwhile, **Mikel Merino**made his mark in the final third. He dropped into the middle of the park once Thomas Partey played as a right back to replace Timber. Here, he has not stood out, but his height, heading, and finishing skills struck Arteta as a successful solution to the role of the striker.
He broke the deadlock with a little luck inside the box, but it is no coincidence that the Spaniard has scored five times since he moved upfront a couple of months ago. There is no doubt that Merino will not go down as a riveting success that revolutionized the midfield. But fans can thank the 28-year-old for a series of crucial contributions that should secure second spot in the table for the Gunners.
Deep blocks bring frustrations
**Arsenal**also did a good job of limiting chances for most of the ninety minutes, retaining the tightest defence in the top tier. However, not for the first time, the side struggled to display fluidity on the ball.
At his best, Martinelli is a jolt that interrupts flat affairs. But many of the same struggles characterised this performance. The team tends to shift the ball to the right side of the field to access Odegaard and the winger on his outside.
Yet, the ball often moves too slowly to truly disrupt defensive blocks, and a lot of the action remains ball to feet if Saka's or White's instinctive runs off Odegaard are not present.
There are small details that Arteta can alter to improve this strategy. As time passed, there was more control with Partey in a deeper position, and the fullbacks can add more forward thrust: Timber turned the defence with a line splitting pass to force Nwaneri to go beyond the last line in the buildup for the first goal before linking with Odegaard at the start of the second half to break into the final third.
However, the limitations of this approach have been clear for all to see. Marco Silva switched the system to a back five and other outfits have found ways to contain the spaces that Odegaard can access as the main creative influence in the midfield. For the start of next season, devising ideas to take apart low blocks more effectively should be one of the items at the top of the manager's agenda.