Fulham 2-1 Arsenal: Premier League as it happened | Premier League

Mikel Arteta spoke to the BBC: “Today was our worst game of the season. The pace, the purpose we have in attack, defensively we were second best, we could not dominate and had issues because of that.

“We were sloppy with the ball. It wasn’t good enough. We didn’t deserve to win. When you have opportunities to go top of league on 31 December and now end up with really bad feeling that is football. The lines are really thin.

“If we play like we played in the other 19 games we will be up there. If we play like today we will be nowhere near. Today was a really difficult day to swallow.”

Declan Rice spoke to Sky: “Declan Rice: “There’s been a blip in the road. There’s no need to panic, there’s still so many games to go. We need to stay positive. This is not the time to be negative. We’ve got a great manager, a great set of players and we will keep going.”

Marco Silva spoke to the BBC: “Really the best way to finish 2023, definitely. Our ambition was to finish on a high and react from the last two games. I really believe we deserve it. Over the 95 minutes we deserved it more.

“It was very good reaction after the first goal. The way we beat their pressure and began to play our way. We even had more chances to score a third goal.

Tom Cairney spoke to Sky Sports: “We have been great at home, not so good away. We were very disappointed with the Boxing Day performance and wanted to make a statement today. We were on top form. To react the way we did to going a goal behind was very good.”

Ben Bloom was at Craven Cottage.

Phillip Haran gets in touch: “Man City tried to give everybody a head start while they went off to collect another trophy so what does t he competition do? They all lose or draw of course to set up the fourth title for Man City. It’s now a virtual certainty as all the so called leading chasers lose a few players to the African Cup of Nations. City will have the title wrapped up by Easter. Happy New Year to all.”

Yeah, cheers, Phil.

Full-time: Fulham 2-1 Arsenal

Arsenal lose another London derby and much of their title credentials. Marco Silva pulls off a coup. Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal were poor beyond their goal and lost deservedly to an inspired Fulham.

90+5 min: Trossard whips the ball into the air in the manner of a shanked rugby garryowen. That’s surely it. Arteta looks resigned to his fate. And that’s what he must accept. Fulham have done it.

90+4 min: Fulham retreating at last? Arsenal are desperate but struggling for chances. One corner is cleared behind, Saka will take again,

90+2 min: Jimenez is booked for kicking the ball away as Harrison Reed comes on to replace Tom Cairney, who won man of the match.

90 min: Five minutes added on and Saka looks incapable of seeing them out with two tired swings at the ball.

89 min: Saka asks his teammates to move as he takes a corner. That ends up going down the other end of the field for a couple of dangerous counters. Arteta glowers on the sidelines. He’s not at all happy.

88 min: OOF. Pereira’s kick bounces back off the crossbar.

87 min: Saliba pulls down Wilson. He gets a yellow. It could have been red, though that might have been harsh. The Fulham fans want a red.

85 min: Pereira sends Cairney away and it’s Jesus who has to run all the way back to clear up. Arsenal are somewhat shapeless. Arteta’s attacking masterplan has let him down.

84 min: Jimenez, a man renewed, escapes down the channel and forces a corner. That comes out and Harry Wilson can only drag the ball wide.

82 min: Just a glimmer for Arsenal as Saka escapes and Palhinha pulls off an almighty tackle, one he celebrates with a fist-pump.

80 min: Two Fulham changes: Off go Willian and De Cordova-Reid, on come Wilson and Issa Diop. Arsenal almost get back into it as Gabriel chucks himself at a cross, using the wet pitch to slide.

78 min: Tottenham are 2-0 up on Bournemouth, making this a most miserable afternoon for Arsenal so far.

77 min: Bassey is booked for timewasting. He’s had a fine game against the club he was red-carded against early in the season.

75 min: Pereira dances across the sodden turf and pulls off a backheel. Fulham are enjoying their football.

74 min: It’s blowy off the Thames. Maybe this is the storm I mentioned. It’s a pea souper. Arsenal happy to pass the ball around.

72 min: Fulham sub: off goes Iwobi, on goes Pereira. Iwobi applauded by Arsenal fans. That’s a nice gesture.

71 min: Iwobi and Jimenez, using the lesser spotted Rabona tackle, force a chance for Cairney, whose shot is saved by Raya.

69 min: Fulham look calm. There’s a storm to come but Arteta’s changes have left the midfield all to the home team.

67 min: Two Gunners subs. Jesus and Trossard on, Martinelli and White off. Nketiah survives and Arteta opts for a back three.

66 min: The resultant free-kick is in a dangerous position. Well, not that dangerous. Odegaard smashes miles over.

65 min: First booking, and it’s Tom Cairney for his foul on Bukayo Saka.

63 min: Robinson and Bassey misread a Martinelli cross and it falls to Saka who volleys wildly over.

62 min: Arsenal go about their task with gusto. More haste, less speed? They seem a bit frantic.

60 min: Arteta on the sidelines asking for his team to “rise yerself” or suchlike. They’ve been pretty poor in truth.

Goal! Fulham 2-1 Arsenal (De Cordova-Reid, 59)

Willian takes, Palhinha’s header down and deflections aplenty before De Cordova-Reid thrashes home. The look on Arteta’s face is a picture.

58 min: Gabriel heads behind. Him and Dec Rice are not getting on at the moment. Some cross words exchanged before Fulham win another corner.

56 min: De Cordova-Reid shapes to put Jimenez away. Saliba read that one very well. Or else the strike would have been clear on Raya.

55 min: Arsenal seeking to locate their head of steam but being frustrated by Fulham. Willian though continues to buzz around his old team. It takes a Saka tackle to stop him getting away.

53 min: Ben White has space. He doesn’t make much of it, and slices an attempted cross behind the touchlines.

51 min: By the way, Kiwior has departed, and Tomiyasu is in that troubled left-back spot. Always thought Kieran Tierney was underused there, though injuries obviously a factor.

49 min: Fulham want a penalty, they get a corner instead when Castagne falls in the area. This one’s cleared with ease. At the other end, Castagne comes across to stop Nketiah.

47 min: Referee Peter Bankes, from Merseyside, Greater Manchester, comes across Iwobi and that sets up an Arsenal attack. Marco Silva is furious but the move came to nothing. So that’s that

46 min: We go again but first some Charles Antaki: “If Arsenal are allowing Willian - lethargic Willian, not-bothered Willian, Arsenal-era Willian - to look lively then something is greatly amiss. It’s not the right-sided defence, really, it’s just sort of … everything. End of year malaise. The prospect of what global horrors 2024 will bring. Apocalypse now or very soon. But a couple of Saka goals would cure all that.”

Half-time: Fulham 1-1 Arsenal

It’s Fulham who should be the happier, having dropped behind to Saka’s close-range finish. The home team have looked lively when Willian and Jimenez, their goalscorer, have been in tandem. Arsenal have plenty to do in the second half.

45+3 min: Arsenal push on for a half-time lead. Declan Rice steps up to shoot. But he’s as off-target as the rest of his teammates.

45+2 min: Nketiah, at last, gets a chance to shoot. But it would be ambitious to score from the angle he attempts his shot from. A sign of desperation for a player who has had a quiet half.

45 min: Four minutes are added on. Willian and Jimenez, the old men, almost set each other up for an attack. The danger is averted.

44 min: Palhinha is sold short, and then Arsenal go away with the ball, only for Calvin Bassey, excellent so far, to storm out and win it. Eventually, Tosin gets room to have a shot….and misses by miles.

42 min: Martinelli, fed by Odegaard, smashes wide. It was a good shot just hit with too much swerve. Better by Arsenal. Odegaard has been kept quiet thus far.

42 min: Gabriel Jesus is warming up. He will surely come on in the second half. It’s not been a good game so far for Eddie.

40 min: Saka complains as he loses a battle of muscle with Jimenez. “Referee” goes the cry from the Gunners fans, who are not happy with life at the moment.

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