Fulham vs Arsenal result from Premier League as Gunners suffer back-to-back losses

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Raj Singh Mahil
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• 14 min read
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CRAVEN COTTAGE, LONDON — Arsenal sat top of the tree on Christmas Day but will head into 2024 in fourth place after whimpering to a 2-1 Premier League defeat at Fulham. 

The Gunners approached their trip across the capital having won just one of their previous five games across all competitions. The latest of those was a 2-0 loss at home against West Ham United in midweek, which caused some panic after a record-breaking 77 scoreless touches in the opposition box.

Fulham, meanwhile, were simply looking for a sensible afternoon after a rollercoaster run of form. They’d lost their prior three games by an aggregate score of 8-0, having produced back-to-back 5-0 wins immediately beforehand. 

The opening five minutes gave the Cottagers more of the same, and no doubt Marco Silva plenty of headaches. Arsenal took control from the off through Martin Odegaard, while wide pair Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka looked in the mood to end a streak of no goals and no assists before it reached the month-long mark. 

That’s exactly what they did five minutes in. Martinelli sprinted down the left flank after a quick roll-out from David Raya, and got a curling shot off that former teammate Bernd Leno could only parry. It fell to Saka, who unconvincingly converted it into an empty net. 

Odegaard was orchestrating beautifully early on and looked like he could conduct an easy afternoon for the Gunners, with Declan Rice and the returning Kai Havertz both playing the same tune. Martinelli and Saka were capable of a crescendo at any moment, though Eddie Nketiah seemed to get every note wrong.

But Arsenal allowed Fulham back into the game, particularly down the right flank of Ben White and Saka, with the latter not offering enough support to his full-back. Antonee Robinson and Willian were electric on the counter. 

It was a matter of time before the Brazilian punished his former employers following a couple of shots of his own. After Calvin Bassey dispossessed Saka well, Willian broke down his wing to play in Tom Cairney, who slid in Raul Jimenez. The Mexican beat Raya low to his left first time to equalise. 

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Arsenal were carved open far too easily, and it was coming. William Saliba was almost caught in possession twice in his own box, the latter of which saw him catch a third ex-Gunner in Alex Iwobi, who was sprightly throughout, for penalty shouts. The French centre-back was then caught way out of position for the goal, partly covering for White.  

That meant Gabriel was dragged out of his slot, as was stand-in left-back Jakub Kiwior, not for the first time, which left Jimenez open. Arsenal had four centre-backs by trade, yet looked so open in the middle. The midfield, though comfortable in possession, were susceptible in transition during this period too. 

Takehiro Tomiyasu came on at halftime as Mikel Arteta sought to solve a left-back issue which had plagued the side with naive displays from Oleksandr Zinchenko against Liverpool and West Ham. The Japan international gave Arsenal a little more structure, but was then caught up in the hosts’ second goal. 

A corner was deflected off both Rice and Tomiyasu before falling to Bobby De Cordova-Reid, who capitalised by prodding home. Fulham deserved to lead but didn't need to be that good, in truth, such was the passive nature of Arsenal.

Arsenal’s response was to craft nothing for the next 20 minutes, with the only slight damage to the Fulham final third being caused by a biblical downpour — and not a figurative one from substitute Jesus. He was thrown on in addition to Reiss Nelson and Leandro Trossard, but what was now a convoluted mess of attackers predictably offered no cohesive play. 

Arteta’s depth chart in the centre-forward position looked anaemic last summer, but a more solid defensive unit made sure Arsenal got away with it for much of the first half of this season. Now, the lack of goalscoring threat must surely send alarm bells ringing ahead of the transfer window. 

Nketiah has scored in just one league game since August, and even that hat-trick came against bottom club Sheffield United at home. He was among a host of poor performers during the closing stages, as Arsenal showed no invention or imagination whatsoever. Not for the first time in 2023, a bright start melted into a spineless finale. 

Arsenal now have a three-week break from league action, hosting Liverpool in the FA Cup next Sunday before eventually taking on Crystal Palace nearly a fortnight later. It's the perfect opportunity for Arteta to rework his faltering title challenge, and reinvigorate a side that looks devoid of both energy and confidence. 

The Sporting News was live from west London, delivering score updates and the key incidents throughout the afternoon below. 

Fulham vs Arsenal final score

  Result Goalscorers
Fulham 2 Jimenez (29), De Cordova-Reid (59)
Arsenal 1 Saka (5)

Fulham vs Arsenal live updates

FULL-TIME: Arsenal's year ends in disaster, as Fulham hold on for victory to take four points from the north Londoners this season. 

90th min: Five minutes of added time. With the way Arteta's men are playing, five hours may not be enough. 

87th min: Saliba cynically brings down Harry Wilson to deny the substitute a run at goal, but with another covering defender, the referee makes the right call in only issuing a booking, despite the fans' outrage. From the resulting free-kick, Andreas Pereira smacks the crossbar. Arsenal living dangerously. 

80th min: Trossard is getting himself into the groove now and is the only Arsenal player looking like a potential game-changer. His latest cross is fizzed to the back post but evades everyone. 

71st min: Fulham are the more likely side to score next. The latest effort sees a wonderful diving save from Raya to deny Cairney from the edge of the box. 

67th min: A roll of the dice from Arteta on both wings, as White and Martinelli are replaced by Jesus and Leandro Trossard. 

63rd min: Arsenal finally have an opportunity at note, coming through a mixup as two Fulham defenders go for the same header, but Saka volleys it closer to the roof than the goal. 

59th min: GOAL! After a couple of minutes' pressure, Fulham take the lead through Bobby De Cordova-Reid! A corner is deflected off Rice and then Tomiyasu, falling to De Cordova-Reid to poke home. 2-1. 

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57th min: A quiet start to the second half, though Arsenal do look a little more solid since the defensive change. Going forward, there's nothing from the visitors. 

46th min: We're back in action, with Takehiro Tomiyasu replacing Kiwior at half-time. 

HALFTIME: Rice blasts it high and wide in the last effort of the half, and the sides head into the interval level. 

45th min: Four minutes of added time. The visitors have finally started to make inroads again, with Martinelli sliding it marginally wide of the post in Arsenal's best attack since the goal. 

39th min: The sting has been taken out of the game slightly since that equaliser, which will suit Arteta for now. Nketiah has had the only half-chance, failing to make a solid connection amid some pinball in the Fulham box. Meanwhile, the hosts' attacking forays continue to come down Ben White's side, through Robinson and Willian, with Saka not helping his full-back enough. 

29th min: GOAL! Jimenez equalises! A Calvin Bassey tackle on Saka sets up a Fulham counter through Willian down the left, before the pacey winger plays in Tom Cairney. The No.10 slides it across the box for Jimenez to convert first time low to Raya's right. 1-1. 

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24th min: Fulham have come back into this contest. Willian is probing against his former club, firing two efforts on goal and showing a little menace from the left. William Saliba has nearly been caught in possession twice in his own box, and the crowd are up. 

15th min: Fulham's first meaningful effort comes from Antonee Robinson breaking in behind down the left, and squaring for Raul Jimenez, but Raya saves his shot comfortably. 

11th min: Arsenal are controlling the tempo and show no signs of a confidence hit after the West Ham defeat. The midfield three of Odegaard, Havertz and Declan Rice are purring at times.

5th min: GOAL! Saka gives Arsenal the lead! David Raya gets a quick breakaway going with his roll out and Martinelli sprints down the left wing. The Brazilian has a shot saved by Leno, which falls to Saka to finish, unconvincingly, into an empty net. 0-1. 

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3rd min: Bright start from the visitors. Odegaard is already looking in the mood and the playmaker gets off the first shot of the game, but it goes wide of Bernd Leno's net. 

KICK-OFF: We're underway on a sunny afternoon on the banks of the Thames. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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20 mins to KO: Arteta has won both of his previous visits to Craven Cottage as manager 3-0, the most recent being in March, via goals from Martin Odegaard, Martinelli and Gabriel. The Spaniard is also unbeaten at home versus Fulham but has a poorer record there, winning once and drawing twice. 

Meanwhile, Marco Silva has faced Arsenal nine times in his coaching career, winning three. The very first ended in victory while in charge of Olympiacos in 2015, before the Portuguese picked up Premier League points against the Gunners with both Watford and Everton. 

40 mins to KO: It's a huge afternoon for Nketiah to stake his claim for a place in the team. The England international hasn't scored in his last eight league appearances, though the most recent seven of those came as a substitute following the return of Jesus from injury.

Nketiah's most recent goals were a hat-trick against a hapless Sheffield United in late October, with his prior strike being against today's opponents back in August at Emirates Stadium. 

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1 hour to KO: Team news is in, and two key changes for the Gunners. Gabriel Jesus drops to the bench after a poor outing against West Ham in favour of Eddie Nketiah, while Jakub Kiwior is in for Oleksandr Zinchenko. Though the Ukrainian has had a shaky last two games, he's reportedly picked up a calf problem rather than dropped. 

Fulham XI: Leno (GK) — Castagne, Adarabioyo, Bassey, Robinson — Cairney, Palhinha — Wilson, De Cordova-Reid, Iwobi — Jimenez.

Arsenal XI: Raya (GK) — White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior — Odegaard, Rice, Havertz — Saka, Nketiah, Martinelli.

1 hour 20 mins to KO: Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli have failed to provide a killer touch of late, with the former going a month without a goal contribution in the Premier League. Martinelli scored at Luton on December 5, but that was his only one since early October. 

Reflecting on that form, Arteta told his pre-match press conference: "Obviously there are a lot of games, but they looked really good, they looked fresh and when you win you don’t look at that. They are young — if they were 35 then maybe it's a different question. They have a lot of energy, they can keep going, that’s for sure."

1 hour 40 mins to KO: After an impressive return to the top-flight in 2022/23, Fulham are nervously looking down at the relegation zone this time around. They do have a chance to pull nine points clear today, however. Yesterday, the Whites were helped by each of the bottom five dropping points, with Nottingham Forest being the only team below them to win.

2 hours to KO: Hello and welcome to the Sporting News' live coverage from Craven Cottage, as title-chasing Arsenal eye a first away win in four. The Gunners will have Kai Havertz back in the side following his suspension for picking up five yellow cards, with the loss to West Ham doing wonders for the perception of the Germany international. 

Fans bemoaning his absence is a far cry from his early-season struggles, but Havertz is now a key member of the starting XI. In the last five weeks, the former Chelsea man has racked up four goals — the opener against Lens, a seal of the win over Brighton & Hove Albion, and more importantly, last-gasp winners at Luton Town and Brentford. 

Kai Havertz celebrates an Arsenal goal
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Fulham vs Arsenal lineups

Fulham XI: Leno (GK) — Castagne, Adarabioyo, Bassey, Robinson — Cairney, Palhinha — Wilson, De Cordova-Reid, Iwobi — Jimenez.

Arsenal XI: Raya (GK) — White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior — Odegaard, Rice, Havertz — Saka, Nketiah, Martinelli.

Fulham vs Arsenal live stream, TV channel

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USA — Peacock
Canada —

Fubo Canada
UK Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League Sky GO, Now TV
Australia — Optus Sport
India Star Sports Select 1, Star Sports 3 Asia Hotstar VIP,
JioTV

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Raj Singh Mahil Photo
Raj Singh Mahil

Raj Singh Mahil is UK Chief Editor at The Sporting News.