Match report and free highlights of Fulham’s 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Arsenal. The Gunners have suffered two consecutive defeats, and 2023 is set for a disastrous end. Mikel Arteta’s side missed out on the chance to reach the top of the Premier League again.They have won just one of their last five league games.
19:11, UK, Sunday 31 December 2023
Arsenal’s difficult end to 2023 continued, with Fulham coming from behind to beat the Gunners 2-1 and suffering a second successive defeat to Mikel Arteta’s side, depriving them of top spot in the Premier League.
The Gunners took the lead in the fifth minute when Bernd Leno could only parry Gabriel Martinelli’s shot and Bukayo Saka scored from close range.
However, Fulham fought back to take the game to Arsenal, with Raul Jimenez converting Tom Cairney’s cross to equalize for the hosts, ending a run of three Premier League games without a goal.
It was another very difficult afternoon for Arsenal, who failed to get a shot on target in the second half. Manager Arteta described it as their “worst game of the season”, but they were unable to stop Fulham’s momentum as Bobby de Cordoba-Reid scored the winning goal in the 59th minute, marking a happy end to the year for Marco Silva’s side. There wasn’t.
With the win, Fulham ended a three-game losing streak without scoring and moved into 13th place.
Meanwhile, Arteta’s side, who took the lead on Christmas Day, have won just one of their last five league games. The defeat ended a miserable few days in which they finished the season in fourth place and missed out on a second chance to top the Premier League, but Liverpool had a chance to win against Newcastle on New Year’s Day. There was a chance to increase the lead by three points. sky sports (8 p.m. kickoff).
Fulham end 2023 on a high as Arsenal stumble again…
Arsenal responded perfectly against West Ham in midweek, with Saka staying onside and converting the rebound after Leno parried Martinelli’s shot in the fifth minute.
Craven Cottage were silent but quickly came to life as Fulham’s quick movement allowed Anthony Robinson to pick out Jimenez, but the striker’s side-footed shot from inside the penalty area was too close to David Raya. Ta.
The momentum was on the hosts, and after Willian’s whipped shot went wide of the far post, De Cordoba-Reid and William Saliba crossed paths inside the penalty area and an appeal was rejected and a penalty was awarded.
However, Fulham’s superiority was ultimately proven as the home side took advantage of a great tackle from Calvin Bassey to dislodge Saka and start a devastating break. Willian fed Tom Cairney, whose cross was invited into the area and Jiminez made no mistake, scoring his fifth goal in seven Premier League appearances and heading home. He forced his team into a tie.
While Fulham looked comfortable, Arsenal looked shocked and without any attacking ideas. That was until just before the break when Declan Rice played the ball to Martin Odegaard inside the Fulham box. Arsenal’s captain handed the ball to Martinelli, but Martinelli could only direct the ball wide of the uprights.
It was almost a lucky moment for Arsenal, but an unlucky one for referee Josh Smith, who accidentally blocked Alex Iwobi. This gave Declan Rice an easy shot at Martinelli, but the Brazilian was unable to capitalize on his advantage as his shot went wide of the far post.
Fulham’s turnaround was completed an hour ago. Arsenal’s Joao Parinha made first contact ahead of Rice, but was unable to clear his line from the corner. A scramble ensued in the area, and De Cordoba-Reid grabbed the ball and slotted it into the goal from close range, denying Raya a chance.
Just like against West Ham, Arsenal never got a response as their frustration continued in front of goal. Saka missed a decent chance at the back post after a mix-up between Bassey and Robinson, but the Gunners posed little threat from then on.
Parinha was forced into a final block to prevent Saka’s goal, although it looked likely that Fulham would add a third goal as Andreas Pereira’s free-kick hit the crossbar. , is the line for a stunning win to finish 2023 on a high note, as Fulham didn’t need it, as Silva’s side ultimately overcame.
Arteta: “Worst performance of the season”
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta:
“It was a really difficult day. A sad day. 3 days ago [2-0 defeat by West Ham] Today was our worst game of the season, as we lost the game with every intention of winning. We were second best in terms of pace, our purpose in attack and defense, but we couldn’t dominate and we had problems because of that.
“We didn’t have enough of that. [possession] – Not enough purpose, speed, or threat. We were sloppy with the ball. It wasn’t enough. We didn’t deserve to win. When you have a chance to lead the league on December 31st and it ends on a really bad note, that’s football. The lines are really thin.
“If we play like we played the other 19 games, we’ll be in the top spot.” [in the league at the end of the season]. If we played like we did today, we wouldn’t be able to come close. Today was a really hard day to swallow. ”
Redknapp: Reality check on what Arsenal need
Jamie Redknapp of Sky Sports:
”[Saka’s opener] This should have given Arsenal a comfortable win. They let their players do it. However, they lacked that brilliance today.
“We’re talking about whether they’re scoring enough goals, but I’m looking at the full-backs and seeing what they’re bringing at the moment. He tried to be substituted at half-time. “Tomiyasu got into midfield, but all he did was get in the way of the opponent.” He gave himself for his team, but was never given width and was lost there. It looked like there was.
“They weren’t quite right in midfield and weren’t creative enough, so we couldn’t score goals. We had too many possessions without the necessary purpose. Our forwards weren’t producing. When you feel like you don’t have it, that puts pressure on you.” Sometimes you try to force things and put a little bit of yourself out there.
“This is symptomatic of Arsenal at the moment. They’re a bit lost, but they have to find confidence. They’re being strangled by Manchester City. There’s another side too. People want Arsenal to continue. I thought it would be, but this might be it.” It’s a bit of a queue for them.
“Maybe this is the reality check they need, because they’re facing it right now.
“They’re talking about signing a centre-forward. Ivan Toney is what Arsenal fans want, but are Brentford going to sell with injuries? And it’s getting dicey for Brentford. , they need to keep him. That’s their territory.”
Silva: For 95 minutes we deserved to win.
Fulham manager Marco Silva:
“Without a doubt, it’s the best way to end 2023. Our goal was to finish on a good note and bounce back from the last two games. I truly believe we deserved it. We deserved it even more throughout the 95 minutes.”
“We reacted very well after the first goal. We broke their pressure and started playing our way. We even had a chance to score the third goal.”
“We want to improve on this front. [consistency] It is also the most difficult part of our journey. The response was great. ”
Opta stats: Fulham end 11-game winless run against Arsenal
- This is the first time Arsenal have lost a Premier League game in which they scored the first goal since New Year’s Day 2022 against Manchester City (Saka also gave Arsenal a 1-0 lead against Fulham). With this, the Gunners’ undefeated record of 48 league games ended with 1 win and 0 losses (W42 D6).
- Arsenal have lost just two of their opening 18 Premier League games this season (12 wins, 4 draws) and have since lost both of their last two games, with the Gunners’ last consecutive league defeats starting last season. This is the second time since then. (Also available in May).
- Fulham won for the first time since playing against Leeds in October 2022 in a Premier League game where they were behind at every stage, ending a 26-game winless streak in which they were behind in a league match (D4 L22).
- The home side ended their 11-game winless streak against Arsenal in the Premier League (D3 L8) and it was their first league win against the Gunners since January 2012 (2-1).
What’s next?
Fulham welcome Rotherham They will play Craven Cottage in the FA Cup third round on Friday 6th January. Kickoff 7:30pm.
arsenal host liverpool FA Cup third round match on Sunday 7th January. Kickoff 4:30pm.