EPL: Saka shines on comeback as Arsenal triumph over Fulham

Bukayo Saka made a sensational comeback from injury, scoring just seven minutes after stepping onto the pitch to help Arsenal secure a victory over Fulham at the Emirates Stadium.

The England forward’s goal marked his return after 101 days on the sidelines.

Coming off the bench in the second half with Arsenal leading 1-0, Saka wasted no time in making an impact.

He met Gabriel Martinelli’s flick at the far post with a precise header in the 73rd minute, reminding fans of the attacking threat they had sorely missed during his absence.

The Gunners initially took the lead in the 37th minute when Mikel Merino’s shot deflected into the bottom corner following a clever cut-back from Ethan Nwaneri.

Fulham managed to pull one back in stoppage time when Rodrigo Muniz’s shot took a wicked deflection off William Saliba, wrong-footing goalkeeper David Raya.

The win moved Arsenal to within nine points of runaway leaders.

It was a mixed night for the Gunners though who, despite the positive of having Saka back from his serious hamstring injury, lost centre-back Gabriel early in the first half, which is a worry for manager Mikel Arteta with a Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid next week.

Fulham defended deep throughout the match but should have pulled one back much earlier when substitute Muniz headed wide from six yards out with the goal gaping.

Arsenal take on Everton on Saturday in the Premier League before preparing for the first leg of their quarter-final against Real at home on Tuesday.