Saka-inspired Arsenal thrash Fulham to close gap on Manchester City

Arsenal supporters had almost forgotten what it was like to win without their nerves being shredded. They were reacquainted with the feeling on an occasion when everything felt right from the start and got better and better. It was all over by half-time, Arsenal three goals to the good and the Emirates Stadium purring over a virtuoso Bukayo Saka performance. The England winger had not been himself before he was forced to take time out at the end of March to rest an achilles problem – and one or two others aches. He was back in the starting XI here and the bang he produced could be heard in Manchester. City do not play until Monday night. They will kick off at Everton six points behind Arsenal at the top, albeit having played two games fewer. Arsenal have turned up the heat inexorably. It looked as though Saka was immune to the pressure on his club, which has been such a feature of the season and the last few months, especially. When did Arsenal last win in the league with a degree of comfort? It was the 4-1 at Tottenham on 21 February. Saka made the opening goal for Viktor Gyökeres in the ninth minute, he scored the second himself and he was involved at the beginning of the move for No 3, which was headed home by Gyökeres for his 21st goal of the season in all competitions. Saka set the tone, he calmed and inspired everyone in red, teammates and fans alike. He did not reappear for the second half; it was safe to say his work was done. It was the most devastating of cameos. Arsenal have looked jaded of late; anxious. Short of creativity and goals. This was a game to restore the collective belief and the plus-three in the goal difference column was very welcome, too. The 22-year wait for the title has pushed the boundaries of obsession. Arsenal can feel it edging closer. The noise at the outset had been really something; the nervous energy of the Arsenal crowd morphing into tremendous encouragement and their team made the dream start. The breakthrough was all about Saka. When Arsenal isolated him against Raul Jiménez after working a free-kick short and coming over to the right, the alarm bells rang for Fulham. Saka went back and then he made his move, jinking up the outside, tying Jiménez in a knot. It was as if the Fulham striker had been freeze-framed; completely taken out of the game. Saka’s low cross was a beauty and Gyökeres, having timed his run, had a tap-in. Arsenal had gone 1-0 up through Eberechi Eze in exactly the same minute of last Saturday’s game here against Newcastle. It was the prompt for them to sink back, the anxiety to grip. There was a different feel about this occasion. Arsenal were so much more proactive, their tempo was high. They wanted a second goal before the interval and they chased it with conviction. They would get it and then some. It helped having Saka in this kind of mood. He bristled with assurance on the ball, he was terrifying for everyone in Fulham white. There was a certainty about him when he picked up possession and trained his sights forward. Eze was dangerous in the pockets, Leandro Trossard was very good off the left and it was just an excellent day for Gyökeres. Arsenal were not disheartened when Gabriel Magalhães was denied at close quarters by Bernd Leno after a Saka corner. Or when the Fulham goalkeeper saved smartly from Gyökeres, Saka dragging the rebound wide. Or when Riccardo Calafiori, who was back after injury, had a goal ruled out for offside in the 27th minute following a Trossard cross. They simply dug deeper, pushed harder. They could feel it was going to be their day. They made it that way. Saka’s goal for 2-0 was a whipped finish inside Leno’s near post after Gyökeres held up an Eze pass up the inside right and laid it off. Did Leno anticipate a trademark Saka curler for the other corner? Maybe. But this is the thing with Saka. He can hurt you either way. Arsenal turned the screw and it was 3-0 when Trossard motored up the inside left and hung up a cross for Gyökeres, who looped a fine header home. The move had been sparked when Gabriel stepped up to release Trossard. Before that, it had been Saka retaining the ball with supreme confidence and playing it inside. Arteta made five changes to the team he sent out at Atlético Madrid on Wednesday in the Champions League semi-final first-leg; a high number by his standards. His Atlético counterpart, Diego Simeone, made 11 for his team’s trip to Valencia earlier on Saturday – ahead of Tuesday night’s second leg here. Atlético have little to play for in La Liga. They are fourth and will most likely finish there. Arteta’s most eye-catching decision was to play Myles Lewis-Skelly in midfield in place of Martín Zubimendi; the 19-year-old has never started an Arsenal game in midfield. He brought plenty of energy and that was the collective theme, really. Arsenal ran all over Fulham, who barely turned up. Marco Silva’s squad have been affected by a virus but they had to be better than this. Fulham have never won away against Arsenal; the run now stands at 33 matches. Arteta was sufficiently relaxed to withdraw not only Saka but Declan Rice and Gyökeres in the 64th minute and the only question in a more pedestrian second half concerned whether Arsenal could score again. Trossard was denied by Leno in a one-on-one while Calafiori watched a header hit the Fulham goalkeeper on the head and come off the crossbar. Leno knew nothing about that. Arsenal know this was a serious statement.