Arsenal 2-2 Fulham
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Arsenal Held To Draw
Joao Palhinha salvaged a point for 10-man Fulham in an exhilarating Premier League draw against Arsenal.
Palhinha’s clinical first-time finish from a corner in the 87th minute secured a well-deserved draw for the visiting side.
Fulham was reduced to ten men when Calvin Bassey was shown a red card four minutes earlier, a consequence of his foul on Eddie Nketiah during a counter-attack.
Andreas Pereira gave Fulham a lightning start, finding the net just 57 seconds into the game. Pouncing on a loose ball from Bukayo Saka, he curled a shot past an off-balance Aaron Ramsdale in goal.
Saka leveled the score from the penalty spot for Arsenal after Fabio Vieira was brought down by Kenny Tete.
Nketiah then pushed Arsenal ahead with a goal, completing the comeback, but Fulham had the final say.
Arsenal’s vulnerabilities in defense exposed again
Arsenal 2-2 Fulham: Mikel Arteta – ‘Gunners should’ve scored seven today’
Following a resilient performance against Crystal Palace earlier in the week where Arsenal secured a victory despite being reduced to 10 men, their fortunes changed swiftly against Fulham.
Pereira’s goal made Arsenal the first team in Premier League history to concede a first-minute goal on three separate occasions within a calendar year.
Quickfire responses from Saka and Nketiah during the second half propelled Arsenal into the lead. After winning the penalty that led to the equalizer, Vieira exploited space on the left to deliver a low cross for substitute Nketiah to convert.
However, despite having a numerical advantage in the final minutes, Arsenal couldn’t maintain their lead. Palhinha seized an opportunity arising from sloppy defending to snatch a point for Marco Silva’s Fulham.
In both the matches against Nottingham Forest and Fulham, Arsenal have conceded goals in the last 15 minutes of the second half, revealing lingering issues in defense that persisted from the previous season’s title challenge.
Changes in defense, including Takehiro Tomiyasu’s absence due to suspension, disrupted Arsenal’s balance, with Thomas Partey playing an unfamiliar role as a makeshift full-back.
Despite gaining a winning position, Arsenal’s lapse in focus allowed Fulham to capitalize and equalize.
Resilient Fulham secures a crucial point
Arsenal 2-2 Fulham: Marco Silva – ‘A strange, angry match, but good point earned’
Prior to Joao Palhinha’s late equalizer, Marco Silva’s Fulham seemed destined for back-to-back London derby defeats following their loss to Brentford in the previous match.
Although the long-term impact of losing last season’s top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic remains uncertain, Fulham showcased both their offensive prowess and defensive resilience.
Scoring twice at Emirates Stadium and managing to secure a point is a positive outcome for Fulham. The situation could have been even more favorable as summer signing Raul Jimenez narrowly missed an acrobatic volley that could have opened his scoring account for the team.
While Fulham managed to limit Arsenal to half-chances, the back-to-back goals conceded in quick succession appeared to swing the momentum against them.
Fulham contested Arsenal’s second goal fervently, claiming that Bassey was fouled near his own byline by Saka. This disagreement resulted in Marco Silva receiving a yellow card for his protests.
Bassey, a former Ajax defender, was subsequently shown a second yellow card during his first start for Fulham, reducing the team to 10 men once again. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Fulham remained determined and left Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta with plenty to contemplate.