Victor Goqueres scores twice as Arsenal beat Fulham in the Premier League (Image: Getty Images)
Arsenal produced one of their best performances of the season at the Emirates Stadium, establishing a six-point advantage over Manchester City and putting pressure on their Premier League title rivals. Many will wonder where such a performance has been in recent weeks, but they will be grateful that it came at such a critical time in the season.
The Gunners took the lead with a goal from Victor Gokeres, who owes a lot to Bukayo Saka, making his first start since returning from injury and smashing in a superb cross into the goal. The Swede then scored his own goal after the Swede broke past Bernd Leno low inside the area.
After Riccardo Calafioli’s shot was ruled out for chalk for offside, Leandro Trossard, who had previously assisted the Italian, now sent in a perfectly weighted lob pass, which was answered this time by Goqueres. Substitutions at the interval and early in the second period led to a natural drop in quality, but there was also an element of game management in the Gunners’ approach.
Here’s how we rated Arsenal’s players’ performance…
David Raya – Needed to stay sharp to get to the ball ahead of Raul Jimenez in the opposition half, and his sliding challenge proved to be quite a spectacle for the supporters. 7
Ben White – There were some impressive running and passing sequences, but there are still standards that the right-back doesn’t quite live up to. 7
William Saliba – The Frenchman remained in command and had some great surges into the middle third, helping his team progress. The delivery to Gabriel was also disappointing. 8
Gabriel – His centre-back partner tees up and the ball almost settles at the far post, agonizingly coming close to hitting the net. Solid and dependable at the back, as has become his trademark. 8
Riccardo Calafioli – believed he had given the Gunners a two-goal lead but was denied by an offside flag after Trossard’s pass. He showed great fluidity throughout the match. It’s a shame that the crossbar was also rattled. 8
Express sports on FB! Get all the best sports news and more on our Facebook page
Declan Rice – Will be deployed in a deeper No. 6 position as the anchor of Arsenal’s midfield, and there is a sense that this could signal the shape of things to come. The role of directing and directing the play gives more authority to those around you. 8
Miles Lewis-Skelly – He was a real treat to watch as he made his first Premier League start in the middle of the park. His furious runs, intelligent movements, and crisp one-touch passes are all backed by a driving force that pushes the ball forward and pushes his team up the field. 9
Eberechi Eze – He opened the scoring for the second goal with a wonderful through ball to Gokeres. He then spotted Gokeres inside the area and looked for a great one-on-one chance, but in the end it was denied. 8
Miles Lewis-Skelly shone in midfield. (Image: Getty Images)
Bukayo Saka – Emphatically announced his return to the starting eleven, piling on Jiménez before whipping in a pinpoint cross for Gokeres. His corner deliveries also showed real brilliance. But Arsenal’s second-place finish was exactly what the winger had lacked all season. He once again showed his brilliant best in every way. The mission completed, he retired during the break to get some well-deserved rest. 9
Victor Gökeres – Right place, right time, the Swede continued his form from Wednesday night and tapped in Saka’s cross. His hold-up play reached another height last week and his setup for Saka’s goal was his best this season. Eze scored a goal one-on-one and he had a chance for a hat trick, but Leno made a brilliant stop. 9
Leandro Trossard – It’s really unfortunate that Calafioli was offside. Because the ball from the Belgian was quite an attempt at the goal, which was canceled by him. However, for the third goal, a great cross was scored and Gokeres headed home. 8
World Cup Legends: The stars of soccer’s biggest tournament in history – buy the special edition now
Noni Maduke – Had some lively moments and almost created a one-on-one chance for Jesus, but it’s safe to say that he and Saka’s level was on full display here. 6
Martin Zvimendi – introduced as a replacement for Rice to ensure the English player enjoys some well-deserved rest. He just helped watch the game from his position without stepping out. 6
Gabriel Jesus – Completely poor performance in a game where the pressure was off. We got caught offside, lost the ball, and didn’t put in enough effort. 2
Max Daumann – It’s great to see this youngster given another chance on the pitch and give Eze some breathing room. He made an impressive drive towards the goal, but was unable to find the net. 6
Cristian Mosquera – entered the fray late on for White. He made a decisive interception to prevent a goal in the box in a disadvantageous situation. 7
