Arsenal narrowly prevented a defeat in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon. Number eighteen Fulham, fully fighting against relegation, the team of manager Mikel Arteta almost treated a 0-1 defeat at the Emirates Stadium. In extremis, substitute Eddie Nketiah saved a point for the home club: 1-1. Arsenal, which qualified for the semi-final in the Europa League on Thursday, remains in nine place. For Fulham, relegation is getting closer, because the gap in the safe seventeenth place is six points. The safe Burnley, however, has two more duels credit. Kenny Tete was missing from Fulham due to a corona infection.
The home team, again without malaria-recovering Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, was unable to convert the predominance into goals in the first half. Gabriel Martinelli could have given his team a dream start, but the effort of the Brazilian attacker in the opening minute just flew past the post. Fulham, who never managed to win in the previous 29 encounters with Arsenal in North London, was mainly limited to holding back. In the fortieth minute, the resistance seemed the Cottagers then finally broken. A measured cross from Hector Bellerin was headed in by his Spanish compatriot Dani Ceballos, much to the delight and relief at Arsenal. Prior to the goal, however, Bukayo Saka was offside, so the goal was scrapped on the advice of the VAR.
The same Saka saw a cross inadvertently towards the goal in the 55th minute and Fulham was lucky that the ball hit the post. Two minutes later, the opening goal finally fell, but it happened on the other side of the field. Mario Lemina was brought down in the penalty area by Gabriel Magalhães. After long consultation with the VAR, the ball was put on the spot. Josh Maja remained calm enough and managed to outsmart goalkeeper Mat Ryan with his bet: 0-1. Arteta intervened with more than twenty minutes on the clock: Nicolas Pépé and Thomas Partey relieved Bellerin and Mohamed Elneny. Shortly afterwards, the no longer fully fit Alexandre Lacazette was replaced in the Arsenal attack line by Eddie Nketiah.
Bringing in some fresh powers, however, didn’t work wonders for Arsenal. Substitute Pépé was still very close to the equalizer, but his header, after a beautiful cross from Martinelli, was beautifully turned by goalkeeper Alphonse Aréola. Fulham seemed on their way to a very important victory, but in stoppage time manager Scott Parker’s side went from heaven to hell after all. Supersub Nketiah saved a point for Arsenal by tapping in the seventh minute of injury time. The VAR looked closely at Nketiah’s goal, but despite Rob Holding’s offside position, the goal just stood still.