Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Arsenal add insult to injury time
LATE EQUALISER IS A DAGGER IN HEART FOR FULHAM, WHO NOW LOOK DOOMED
TRUST Arsenal to go from the sublime to the ridiculous.
After reaching the Europa League semi-finals in style against Slavia Prague, Gunners needed goalkeeper Mat Ryan’s assistance up front to avoid a first home defeat by Fulham.
The only thing predictable about Arsenal this season is you never know what to expect.
But on a day when Arsenal were named among the English clubs ready to join a breakaway European Super League, Mikel Arteta admitted his side deservedly remain down in ninth place in the Premier League. The point will likely be meaningless to Arsenal with the Europa League their only ticket back to the continent next season.
But the controversial equaliser was another huge blow to Fulham’s slim survival hopes with only five games to go.
The Whites were as sharp as their manager
Scott Parker’s dress sense yesterday with a made-to-measure game-plan to defend compactly and then try and hit the hosts on the break.
But they are stuck in 18th place and still six points adrift of safety after conceding another late, late goal. Arsenal’s injury-time leveller from Eddie Nketiah means the Cottagers travel to Chelsea on Saturday fighting to make the final-day game at home to Newcastle significant in the relegation battle.
Arsenal ripped Slavia Prague apart in midweek and were three goals up after 24 minutes. But they found Fulham a tougher nut to crack.
The recalled Gabriel Martinelli went close in the opening seven minutes when he lifted a lob wide and then forced Alphonse Areola into a smart low save.
But despite Arsenal dominating possession – and playing neat, onetouch football learned by Arteta (above) under Pep Guardiola – the expected breakthrough would not come.
Even when Dani Ceballos headed home Hector Bellerin’s 40th-minute cross, VAR ruled out the effort as Bukayo Saka’s foot was ruled offside earler in the move. The on-loan Real Madrid midfielder’s wait for a first Premier League goal goes on.
Josh Maja went closest for Fulham in the first half when his deflected shot trickled wide with Ryan wrong-footed.
But after Saka hit the near post from the byline, the Nigerian striker broke the deadlock with a 59th-minute penalty after Fulham benefitted from another VAR check.
Gabriel was confirmed as clipping Mario Lemina in the box after Craig Pawson had been advised to give the decision by assistant referee Scott Ledger. With Ola Aina also adjudged onside in the build-up, on-loan Maja was able to smash the spot-kick into the roof of the net for his third Fulham goal.
It was a huge blow for Arsenal, whose luck worsened with a hamstring injury for striker Alexandre Lacazette.
Hector Bellerin headed wide, Areola saved a Nicoas Pepe header with his feet, and then the Fulham keeper kept out another Martinelli shot as Arsenal
mounted a late cavalry charge. And, deep into injury time, Ryan got his head to a Saka corner to allow Ceballos to volley goalwards.
Areola parried the shot but it went only as far as Nketiah, who tapped home Arsenal’s
18th shot of the game.
VAR checked on the involvement of Arsenal defender Rob Holding, who was standing clearly offside when Ceballos shot, but the goal was allowed to stand, to the dismay of Fulham players (left).
The Gunners remain unbeaten in 30 home games against Fulham in all competitions dating all the way back to 1904.
But only just.