Fulham 1-1 Arsenal: Gunners dealt blow in bid to close the gap on Liverpool as Bukayo Saka’s late header is ruled out by VAR – but William Saliba scores from ANOTHER corner to clinch point

Liverpool haven’t even played this weekend but will feel like winners tonight.

Manchester City dropped more points at Crystal Palace on Saturday and here at Craven Cottage 24 hours later, Arsenal followed suit with a performance that lacked conviction.

Faced with the chance to cut Arne Slot‘s lead at the top of the Premier League to just four points, the Gunners stuttered in this fiercely contested London derby.

In isolation a point against a Fulham team drilled within an inch of their lives by Marco Silva is a decent result.

But when you’re chasing down a seven point lead you can’t afford many days like this. Arsenal didn’t lose, but this will feel nothing like a victory.

A missed opportunity to apply pressure on Liverpool – whose game versus Everton was called off on Saturday – this was most certainly was.

Raul Jimenez fired the hosts into the lead in the first half after finishing from a tight angle

Bukayo Saka looked to have headed home a late winner but VAR intervened over an offside call

Credit to Fulham, they were well worth their point. It isn’t said enough, but Silva has done a brilliant job.

What they lacked in possession they more than made up for in resilience and tactical discipline – though they did succumb to Arsenal’s brilliance at set pieces, William Saliba’s equaliser the Gunners’ 23rd goal from dead ball situations since the start of last season.

But this result will be forever be characterised by what Arsenal didn’t do rather than what Fulham did.

Once again Arsenal’s brilliance at set-pieces came to their rescue. If Declan Rice cost Arsenal £105million, what price do you put on Nicolas Jover’s head?

Arsenal’s influential set piece coach proved worth his weight in gold yet again.

But on reflection, Arsenal simply didn’t do enough to win this game – though they were hampered by the unavailability of Gabriel Magalhaes, Ben White, Ricardo Calafiori and Oleksandr Zinchenko through injury which meant Mikel Arteta had no option but to field a makeshift back-four.

Arsenal were comfortable during the opening exchanges – two early corners, one of which headed narrowly wide by Saliba, heralding gleeful expectation from the away fans and fearful trepidation by the natives such the notoriety that comes with Gunners set pieces nowadays.

Yet, for all their early possession it was Fulham who struck the opener with Raul Jimenez’s rasping angled finish that flew beyond David Raya to bring home fans to their feet.

The move stemmed from goalkeeper Bernd Leno’s long clearance up field that Arsenal will reflect on and accept their slice of blame.

Makeshift back-four or not, the goal was simple in its creation. Far too simple for Arteta’s liking. 

Wild celebrations broke out in Arsenal’s technical area after Saka’s effort crept in

Saliba drew Arsenal level after providing the finishing touch to a memorable corner routine

Jimenez provided the finishing touch to one of Fulham’s first attacks at Craven Cottage

Not that any of that was Silva’s concern, of course. Fulham had hardly touched the ball prior to Jimenez’s goal.

The rest of the opening period took on a similar direction. Plenty of Arsenal possession, but all without really making Leno work too hard for his corn – though the keeper did save twice at his near post from Bukayo Saka efforts – one of which direct from a corner.

Leandro Trossard carved out the only other real opportunity of note for Declan Rice, who fired wide after collecting the Belgian’s lofted pass.

Fulham made a few forays forward without troubling Raya; former Arsenal pair Emile Smith Rowe and Alex Iwobi in particular catching the eye.

And if only Adama Traore could consistently supply end product, we’d have a player our hands.

Yet this first half was defined by Arsenal’s failure to grab the bull by the horns.

As the rain lashed down at half-time, Arteta’s face was a picture.

The lack of urgency of his team appeared the more most alarming aspect of their opening 45 minutes, almost as if the gravity of the situation hadn’t dawned on them.

Declan Rice stretched to meet a devilish cross but was unable to make any contact

Saka forced Bernd Leno into a sharp low stop at the Gunners pushed forward

Arteta emerged for the second period deep in conversation with his No 2 Albert Stuivenberg. You’d imagine he’d have had lots more to say in the confines of the away dressing room at half-time, too.

Whatever Arteta’s half-time message; it worked a treat; Arsenal were level inside seven minutes of the restart thanks to their latest successful set-piece routine when Rice’s corner was met by Kai Havertz to leave Saliba to tap in from close range.

The Gunners had to endure a lengthy VAR check as Stockley Park ascertained whether Saliba had strayed offside.

The goal stood and the Arsenal onslaught commenced.

Trossard saw his shot saved by Leno in the 57th minute before Havertz dragged his effort wide from Martin Odegaard’s pass.

Silva threw on Harry Wilson and Andreas Pereira in place of attacking pair Traore and Smith Rowe as the Portuguese tried to wrestle back at least some control.

But the direction of travel was clear, Thomas Partey the next to squander an opportunity as the Ghana international headed wide from Rice’s latest corner.

Pereira forced Raya into a good save with his feet in the 70th minute in a rare and welcome break from their rearguard action.

Thomas Partey angled a header wide from several yards out after another inviting corner

Mikel Arteta cut a frustrated figure with the Gunners failing to close the gap on Liverpool

And as we reached the 80th minute, an Arsenal winner still hadn’t manifested.

Arteta brought on Ethan Nwaneri for the final 10 minutes, the teenager coming on in place of creative heartbeat Odegaard – another tangible indicator of the youngster’s growing stock at Arsenal.

But it was Arsenal’s tried and tested combination of Saka and Gabriel Martinelli who thought they grabbed a late winner for the visitor’s.

Martinelli, who’d earlier come on for Trossard, whipped in a delightful ball from the right that Saka nodded home at the back post to spark scenes of euphoria on the field and the Arsenal bench.

But Martinelli, by the finest of margins, had strayed into an offside position as Fulham breathed a huge sigh of relief.

You could hear a similar noise emanating out of Anfield at the final whistle, too.