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Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka celebrates scoring their second goal - Reuters/David Klein
After waiting 101 days to play a match of competitive football again, it took Bukayo Saka only seven minutes of action to make a decisive mark. This is what big players do, seizing the moment when all eyes are upon them, and at Arsenal there is no player bigger than the academy graduate who has become a world-class attacker.
In the eyes of Arsenal’s supporters, there is not a footballing star who can shine as brightly as the England winger. The love for him in north London is so extreme that his arrival as a second-half substitute against Fulham prompted an even louder cheer than Arsenal’s first goal of the night. Goals are great but, to many at Arsenal, Saka is even greater.
It was far from the finest effort of Saka’s career – a simple header, into an open net – but it must rank highly among his most enjoyable moments. His first serious injury was a horrible one, forcing him into hamstring surgery and ruling him out since December, and he could not have known how he would feel upon his return.
Saka’s return and goal, accompanied by Mikel Merino’s first-half opener, ensured three points for Arsenal. For Merino to score another goal also represented a moment of joy for the club, as the Spaniard continues his remarkable adaptation to the role of emergency striker. In eight matches as a forward, Merino has scored five goals. There are recognised and expensive strikers with far worse returns.
It was not, however, an entirely enjoyable night for Mikel Arteta. Just as one key player returned to action, another one left it. Gabriel Magalhaes, their powerful centre-back, limped out of the first half with what looked to be a serious hamstring problem, and Rodrigo Muniz’s late effort ruined their clean sheet.
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Gabriel seemingly popped his hamstring trying to cover Adama Traoré - Harry Murphy/Danehouse/Getty Images
The sight of Gabriel falling to the ground, clearly in pain, prompted groans of concern to echo around the Emirates Stadium. The supporters here have grown to love their burly centre-back and they know how important he has become to this team and its formidable backline.
Gabriel’s partnership with William Saliba represents arguably the club’s best hope of defeating Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals, but it is now extremely doubtful whether the big Brazilian will be available for either match.
The first leg takes place in north London next week. To see Gabriel walk down the tunnel, anguish etched all over his face, was to see a man who probably knows that his dream of facing the giants of Spanish football is over.
It was a gruelling scene and, sadly for Arsenal, it was not the first time that hamstring problems have hurt Arteta’s team this season. Saka’s absence was brutal for the club, and the same can be said for Kai Havertz’s similarly devastating hamstring injury. Gabriel Martinelli has also suffered with the same muscle in recent months.
At least the loss of Gabriel is unlikely to be as difficult to fix as the absence of Havertz. Arsenal have a ready made replacement at centre-back in the shape of Poland international Jakub Kiwior, who replaced Gabriel in the first half here. The problem is that Kiwior is simply not as strong, composed or reliable as Gabriel. Real’s collections of attackers, including Kylian Mbappé, will be licking their lips.
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Real Madrid will relish Gabriel being ruled out of the Champions League quarter-final and facing Jakub Kiwior instead - Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Fulham’s supporters might have expected Gabriel’s injury, sustained as he sprinted back into position, to provide their team with an immediate boost on the pitch. In truth, Silva’s side were so preoccupied with holding their defensive shape that they did not really test Kiwior before the break.
Arsenal were hardly creating a stream of chances in these early moments, but they were the better team and it felt inevitable that they would eventually find a way through. The opener duly arrived after 37 minutes, when Ethan Nwaneri – who has filled in so ably for Saka in recent weeks – found Merino in the penalty box. His effort deflected beyond Bernd Leno, the former Arsenal goalkeeper, between Fulham’s posts.
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Mikel Merino’s shot took a decisive deflection off Jorge Cuenca - Harry Murphy/Danehouse/Getty Image
Fulham have proved to be complicated opponents for Arsenal in recent seasons and came into this meeting on a run of three games unbeaten against Arteta’s side. Silva seems to enjoy setting up his side in an organised, structured manner, and they started here.
The first sign of that renewed ambition was an opportunity for Raúl Jiménez, saved adeptly by David Raya. But as Fulham tried to be more adventurous, they also looked more vulnerable. Martin Odegaard and Jurrien Timber both went close to adding a second.
And then came Saka, on to seize the occasion for his own. The cheer for his arrival was enormous, and the celebrations of his goal were extraordinary. It came from Merino’s cross, which was flicked on by the impressive Martinelli towards the back post. There was Saka, showing all of his goalscoring instincts as he simply nodded the ball into the net.
In celebrating his goal, Saka ran to Sam Wilson, Arsenal’s lead physical performance coach. Wilson works closely with injured players during their rehab and Saka’s gratitude was on show for him, just as the home crowd showed their gratitude and affection for the 23-year-old. Muniz’s deflected goal then caused some late nerves but this was a night that always belonged to Saka.
09:59 PM BST
Here’s how it looks at the top tonight
09:45 PM BST
We’ll have a full table at conclusion of Forest v Man Utd
But the top two are Liverpool on 70 points from 29 games from Arsenal on 61 from 30.
09:42 PM BST
Full time: Arsenal 2 Fulham 1
Bukayo Saka drops to his knees to say a little prayer. He looks enraptured.
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Bukayo Saka marks his return with a goal in ‘who writes your scripts?’ style - Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
09:42 PM BST
90+5 min: Arsenal 2 Fulham 1
Some nailbiting moments for Arsenal at the death. Arteta is doing his nut as they concede a corner after another enterprising run from Muniz. But they see off the corner and see out the game.
09:40 PM BST
Full time: Wolves 1 West Ham 0
They celebrate as if they’re safe, which they very nearly are mathematically and almost certainly are practically. That victory gives them a 12-point lead over Ipswich in 18th.
09:39 PM BST
GOAL!
Arsenal 2 Fulham 1 (Muniz) Another deflected effort, this time off Saliba, after they got in down the right past Lewis-Skelly.
09:36 PM BST
90 min: Wolves 1 West Ham 0
Joao Gomes and Matt Doherty are booked for tactical/cynical/professional fouls to stop West Ham attacks.
09:35 PM BST
89 min: Arsenal 2 Fulham 0
Terrific pass from Odegaard sends Martinelli through to stick the ball past Leno but he had gone too soon and the flag goes straight up. He’s has Castagne on toast all night so there was no need to jump the gun there.
09:33 PM BST
88 min: Wolves 1 West Ham 0
What a miss! Soucke is usually a reliable finisher but when set up by Füllkrug’s cute back-heel after tenacious work from Bowen, he dumps his shot into the side-netting.
09:32 PM BST
85 min: Arsenal 2 Fulham 0
Arsenal are closing this out so efficiently, switching to a low block and hitting them on the counter.
09:26 PM BST
80 min: Arsenal 2 Fulham 0
Muniz who has come on for Jiménez misses from four yards out with Raya stranded, heading wide after excellent work from Iwobi. Marco Silva’s hands go straight to his temples.
09:25 PM BST
78 min: Arsenal 2 Fulham 0
Timber is replaced by Trossard and Thomas goes back to right-back. Timber walked off which suggests it isn’t the earlier knock.
SAKA IS BACK
Bukayo Saka scores just seven minutes into his return from injurypic.twitter.com/00iMmKifM6
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 1, 2025
09:23 PM BST
77 min: Wolves 1 West Ham 0
Big chance for the equaliser for West Ham, Alvarez from a couple of yards as he tried to exploit the scrambling defence after Füllkrug hit the bar.
09:17 PM BST
GOAL!
Arsenal 2 Fulham 0 (Saka) Nods it in at the back post. The Emirates explodes. Arrived with impeccable timing and he peels off to the sidelines to hug the physios. Merino to Martinelli who flicked it to the back post for Saka to stoop and conquer.
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09:17 PM BST
72 min: Arsenal 1 Fulham 0
Huge roar as Saka beats Robinson, cuts back on his left to arrow a cross on to Thomas Partey’s head who should have done better. As Fulham try to break, Rice is booked for pulling Diop’s shirt to smother the counter-attack.
09:15 PM BST
70 min: Wolves 1 West Ham 0
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West Ham are knocking at the door but feel the referee is being too pernickety - Jaimi Joy/REUTERS
09:12 PM BST
67 min: Arsenal 1 Fulham 0
The Emirates rises to its feet to greet the introduction of Bukayo Saka. He replaces Nwaneri.
Fulham make three changes: Iwobi, Pereira and Willian for Lukic, Traoré and Smith Rowe.
09:09 PM BST
65 min: Arsenal 1 Fulham 0
Kiwior dozes off and gives the ball to Traore who bullocks into the left of the box and shoots wildly out for a throw-in. Jiménez was right across from his amd would have had a tap-in.
09:08 PM BST
63 min: Arsenal 1 Fulham 0
Martinelli’s header from Leno’s punch is too close to the keeper. The Brazil winger has started beasting Castagne again.
09:06 PM BST
60 min: Arsenal 1 Fulham 0
Martinelli stoops to head in the area and the ball is deflected behind for a corner. Odegaard takes and the ball drops to Merino who slams a volley into the ground and behind.
09:04 PM BST
57 min: Arsenal 1 Fulham 0
Lukic is yellow carded for yanking Lewis-Skelly’s shirt as he dogged his run but couldn’t quite keep up. Free-kick 25 yards out swung by Odegaard on to Saliba’s head who twists his neck and steers it over the bar from 15 yards. Big chance.
09:00 PM BST
53 min: Wolves 1 West Ham 0
Bellegarde whistles a curling shot past the left post after galloping through midfield to the 18-yard line.
08:59 PM BST
51 min: Wolves 1 West Ham 0
Paqueta picks out Füllkrug in the Wolves box but the Germany centre-forward, so soon back from injury, is far too tentative and makes the wrong decision with his header instead of fullt committing.
08:58 PM BST
51 min: Arsenal 1 Fulham 0
Raya saves Jiménez’s fierce drive scrappily and pushes it into the middle of the box. Smith Rowe tries to latch on to it but Lewis-Skelly is alert to the danger and gets in first.
08:56 PM BST
49 min: Arsenal 1 Fulham 0
Merino loops the ball over the top and Nwaneri, who was coming back from an offside position and seemed to have made it back, is flagged for offside. Tight.
Then Martinelli plays it up to Merino who lays it off back to him perfectly to canter down the left and square for Odegaard who blazes over.
08:54 PM BST
48 min: Wolves 1 West Ham 0
West Ham are mixing it up to try to find a spark, taking off Guilherme, Ferguson and Cresswell for Füllkrug, Alvarez and Soler. First starts for Guilherme and Ferguson last 45 minutes.
08:51 PM BST
46 min: Arsenal 1 Fulham 0
Back underway at the Emirates, no changes and the game has stopped for a foul by Partey on Cuenca.
08:41 PM BST
Joao Gomes
Is reportedly running the show for Wolves at home against West Ham. He has become one of my favourite players to watch this season.
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Joao Gomes pulls the strings for Wolves - David Rogers/Getty Images
08:37 PM BST
Half-time: Arsenal 1 Fulham 0
Fulham came with a plan to thwart and frustrate with a packed defence and then to hit them on the break with Traoré’s pace. He has managed to get in good positions for that a couple of times but has not had the support.
Arsenal have huffed and puffed and eventually got the goal but it has been a pretty bloodless performance so far. lacking urgency. The international break can really hobble teams’ momentum.
08:34 PM BST
Half-time: Wolves 1 West Ham 0
Fractious half with some chances for West Ham, mainly to Bowen and one for Ferguson. But Wolves grabbed the goal and should have had a second.
08:33 PM BST
45 min: Arsenal 1 Fulham 0
Odegaard has a shot blocked and moments later so does Lukic.
08:30 PM BST
44 min: Arsenal 1 Fulham 0
Fulham corner headed out by Kiwior and Nwaneri challenges Robinson as he tries to recycle it and get a cross into the box... that Kiwior heads away.
08:28 PM BST
From despair to wahay!
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Gabriel’s match and possibly his season is over - GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images
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Merino gives Arsenal the lead - John Sibley/Action Images via Reuters
08:22 PM BST
GOAL!
Arsenal 1 Fulham 0 (Merino) Nwaneri beats a snoozing Robinson, cuts it back to Merino who takes a touch, unnecessarily it seems, but he has a second bite and strikes Cuenca with his tame effort and deflects it unstoppably into the inside of the side netting.
08:21 PM BST
35 min: Arsenal 0 Fulham 0
Fulham are stifling Arsenal with a 5-4-1 when they lose the ball, congesting the final third, forcing a cautious Arsenal to horseshoe the ball from side to side across the back four. Martinelli and Lewis-Skelly could skin Castagne but they seem to have given up trying.
08:18 PM BST
31 min: Wolves 1 West Ham 0
Genuine needle in this game after Andre responded to what he thought was a snide foul by Ward-Prowse by grabbing him round the throat. Both are booked. VAR did check on possibly upgrading Andre’s but decide to endorse the on-field ref’s judgment.
08:16 PM BST
29 min: Arsenal 0 Fulham 0
That came from a Jiménez shot blocked by the Dutch defender whose foot followed through and caught him on the knee, cutting it though they did test for ligament damage for a minute or so.
08:15 PM BST
27 min: Arsenal 0 Fulham 0
More defensive injury problems for Arsenal as Timber calls on the physio to check his left knee after a collision with Jiménez.
08:14 PM BST
25 min: Wolves 1 West Ham 0
Should have been 2-0 to Wolves and an assist for Larsen as he slips in Munetsi into the area and he smashes his shot on to the bar.
08:07 PM BST
GOAL!
Wolves 1 West Ham 0 Shot from Larsen from the edge of the area beating Areola all ends up after a slight deflection off Kilman.
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Larsen fires Wolves ahead - Paul Childs/Action Images via Reuters
08:06 PM BST
20 min: Arsenal 0 Fulham 0
Nwaneri’s left-foot volley, thundered into the ground and Leno makes a smart save on his old stamping ground.
08:03 PM BST
17 min: Arsenal 0 Fulham 0
Kiwior replaces Gabriel. That’s a hammer blow.
08:00 PM BST
15 min: Arsenal 0 Fulham 0
Arteta wants Fulham to put the ball out because Gabriel seems to have torn his hamstring. But Arsenal had a 25-pass move with him sitting on the floor until they lost the ball.
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Gabriel rips his hamstring - David Klein/REUTERS
07:59 PM BST
13 min: Arsenal 0 Fulham 0
Timber stops the lightning Traoré breaking past and playing Smith Rowe clean through. Fantastic tackle and two phases later Timber whips in a cross that no Arsenal forward attacked. They’ve got the Invisible Man up front.
Gabriel is hurt and limping.
07:57 PM BST
10 min: Arsenal 0 Fulham 0
Nwaneri joins Martinelli on the left and double team Castagne. The youngster is out through but when he tries to pickout Merino, the makeshift centre-forward had not made a suitable run... and in any case Nwaneri was offside.
07:54 PM BST
8 min: Wolves 0 West Ham 0
Early chance for Bowen after a mistake by Jose Sa but the West Ham captain, in a good position, loses control and hence momentum.
07:53 PM BST
6 min: Arsenal 0 Fulham 0
07:52 PM BST
5 min: Arsenal 0 Fulham 0
Saliba strolls forward into the centre-circle and sends Timber in down the right. He tries to link up with Rice but Fulham smother him and force him to try the other wing. Martinelli glides forward down the left, and sets up the shot which is blocked but the rebound sits up nicely for Partey who drags his 18-yard effort wide.
07:49 PM BST
3 min: Wolves 0 West Ham 0
Solid if cautious start from both sides at Molineux. Ferguson is playing as an orthodox centre-forward with Bowen to the right.
07:48 PM BST
1 min: Arsenal 0 Fulham 0
A huge roar before kick-off when the big screens show Bukayo Saka taking his seat on the bench. All Fulham from the start, playing with three at the back, stroking the ball around confidently, pushing their wing-backs high.
07:43 PM BST
The players are coming out of the tunnel at Emirates Stadium and Molineux
Three of the sides are in their home kits while Fulham are in Purple Rain-era Prince lilac.
07:24 PM BST
Arteta has a smile on his face
07:22 PM BST
A glorious spring evening at Molineux
But there’s a wintry chill in the air:
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06:57 PM BST
Saka is back after 100 days
He was injured at Crystal Palace on December 21:
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Bukayo Saka returns to Arsenal’s first-team squad - Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
06:52 PM BST
And the Molineux dramatis personae
Wolves Jose Sa; Doherty, Agbadou, Toti Gomes; Semedo, Joao Gomes, Andre, Ait Nouri; Munetsi, Bellegarde; Larsen.
Substitutes Johnstone, Pedro Lima, Djiga, Forbs, Sarabia, Doyle, Hwang, Traore, Bueno.
West Ham Areola, Kilman, Mavropanos, Cresswell, Wan-Bissaka, Ward-Prowse, Lucas Paqueta, Scarles, Bowen, Luis Guilherme, Ferguson.
Substitutes Fabianski, Emerson, Soucek, Todibo, Rodriguez, Alvarez, Fullkrug, Soler, Coufal.
Referee Tony Harrington (Cleveland)
06:49 PM BST
Your Emirates teams in black and white
Arsenal Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Nwaneri, Merino, Martinelli.
Substitutes Neto, ierney, Saka, Kiwior, Zinchenko, Trossard, Jorginho, Sterling, Gower.
Fulham Leno; Diop, Andersen, Cuenca; Castagne, Lukic, Berge, Robinson; Traoré, Smith Rowe; Jiménez.
Substitutes Benda, Bassey, Reed, Rodrigo Muniz, Cairney, Iwobi, Andreas Pereira, Willian, Sessegnon.
Referee John Brooks (Leicestershire)
06:42 PM BST
Arsenal team analysis
06:42 PM BST
West Ham make four changes
Out go Todibo, Soucek, Emerson and Kudus to be replaced by Cresswell, Scarles, Guilherme and Ferguson. Kudus is not even on the bench:
06:36 PM BST
Wolves are unchanged
06:34 PM BST
Fulham make five changes from FA Cup defeat
In come Diop, Cuenca, Traoré, Smith Rowe and Raúl for Bassey. Pereira, Iwobi, Willian and Muniz.
06:31 PM BST
Arsenal team news
️
Saliba partners Gabriel
Odegaard in the middle
️ Nwaneri on the wing
Let's go, Gunners
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 1, 2025
05:11 PM BST
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05:10 PM BST
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05:07 PM BST
Preview: Look who’s back
Good evening and welcome to live coverage of two of tonight’s three Premier League games. If you’re looking for Nottingham Forest vs Manchester United, simply click here, but stay with us for Arsenal, who start the day in second place and 12 points behind Liverpool with nine to play, against Fulham, currently in eighth, and Wolverhampton Wanderers in 17th but with a cosy, nine-point cushion over Ipswich, against West Ham who are one position and eight points ahead of them.
Neither match is being broadcast in the UK but with the phenomenal rise of VPNs, I’m certain that many will be paying to watch here but from a destination of their choice. Bali, today? For the rest of us there are goal updates on Sky Sports News, Radio 5 Live and dispatches from our team at the ground to keep us across both games, which I will endeavour to do.
Unless you have been in a cave for the past 48 hours you will have heard the big news that Bukayo Saka is back for Arsenal this evening, fit again after December’s hamstring surgery and champing at the bit to rejoin the Gunners’ attack. He was the first of the epidemic of injuries to blight their forward line and, I would argue, the most significant, not so much for his five goals in 19 league appearances but the 10 assists. Fulham have never beaten Arsenal away in Plumstead, Highbury or Ashburton Grove in a run stretching back 33 games and 121 years but they have drawn two of their last three visits there which gives them more than a spoiler’s chance of matching the point they earned at Craven Cottage at the beginning of December to ease their FA Cup exit hangover.
West Ham have won five of their last six Premier League matches against Wolves who have taken a roundabout route to safety after their dreadful start, taking one and half steps forward, one back under Vitor Pereira. Like West Ham there has been definite progress since the managerial changes but it has not been smooth. This is the third game of Matheus Cunha’s four-match ban which means they will be without their most potent player. West Ham welcome Niclas Füllkrug back for the first time since January 10 following his hamstring injury but given they have taken seven points from their last four games, including that away win at the Emirates, playing with Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen complemented with the surges of Tomas Soucek as a forward line, the Germany striker is likely to be bench-bound alongside Euan Ferguson.
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