Arsenal vs Fulham LIVE: Premier League result, final score and reaction from fixture today
Ceballos #Ceballos
Arsenal are taking on Fulham this afternoon in a Premier League meeting at the Emirates which has taken on even greater significance after yesterday’s results. Newcastle’s surprise win over high-flying West Ham catapulted the Magpies to 15th in the table, above Brighton and Burnley, and left Fulham seven points from safety. With only six games left to play including this one, Scott Parker’s side cannot afford to be picky about where they earn points and will be giving everything to shock the Gunners.
Arsenal come into the game in some form, having bounced back from that dire 3-0 defeat at Liverpool with wins over Sheffield United and Slavia Prague. Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe have made productive returns from injury while Alexandre Lacazette appears to be flourishing up front without club captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on the pitch, who is suffering with malaria. Mikel Arteta will have one eye on the Europa League but with no midweek game coming up, he will be focused on pushing the Gunners up the table from their disappointing spot in ninth place.
Follow all the latest action from the game in north London below.
Arsenal vs Fulham
GOAL! ARSENAL 0-1 FULHAM (MAJA 59’) 13:49 , Callum Rice-Coates
An emphatic penalty from Maja! He slams it into the roof of the net and gives Ryan no chance. Parker is subdued on the touchline but that could be a huge goal for Fulham.
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ARSENAL 0-0 FULHAM (59’) 13:48 , Callum Rice-Coates
The penalty stands! There was an offside check, but Aina was just in line.
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ARSENAL 0-0 FULHAM (57’) 13:47 , Callum Rice-Coates
Penalty for Fulham! Lemina drives forward and looks to feed Aina ahead of him. The pass is intercepted but the ball drops for Lemina in the box and he goes down under a challenge from Gabriel. Craig Pawson, after a delay, points to the spot. But there’ll be a VAR check…
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ARSENAL 0-0 FULHAM (55’) 13:45 , Callum Rice-Coates
Saka hits the bar! He beats Robinson with a burst of speed and then fires what appears to be a cross towards the near post. Instead of finding a teammate, though, he sends the ball clattering back off the woodwork.
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ARSENAL 0-0 FULHAM (54’) 13:45 , Callum Rice-Coates
Good news for Arsenal. Xhaka, deputising at left-back, is back on and there doesn’t seem to be any lasting damage.
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ARSENAL 0-0 FULHAM (54’) 13:44 , Callum Rice-Coates
Good news for Arsenal. Xhaka, deputising at left-back, is back on and there doesn’t seem to be any lasting damage.
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ARSENAL 0-0 FULHAM (52’) 13:42 , Callum Rice-Coates
Xhaka is hurt again, this time after a coming together with De Cordova-Reid. Both players need some attention from the physios.
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ARSENAL 0-0 FULHAM (50’) 13:39 , Callum Rice-Coates
Andersen goes in heavily on Xhaka, who writhes around for a few seconds but is soon back on his feet. The Fulham defender is booked.
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ARSENAL 0-0 FULHAM (46’) 13:36 , Callum Rice-Coates
Close! Ceballos picks out Lacazette in a pocket of space just outside the box and his low shot whistles just wide of the left post.
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KICK-OFF 13:35 , Callum Rice-Coates
Fulham get us back underway.
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DISALLOWED GOAL 13:25 , Callum Rice-Coates
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HALF-TIME ARSENAL 0-0 FULHAM 13:20 , Callum Rice-Coates
A flat first half comes to an end. There’s been a real lack of energy from both teams, perhaps unsurprising given Arsenal’s exertions against Slavia Prague on Thursday. They very nearly went in with a lead, though, but Ceballos’ goal was ruled out for the most marginal of offside decisions. As it is, Fulham are still in the game, even if they’ve created nothing.
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ARSENAL 0-0 FULHAM (45+1’) 13:18 , Callum Rice-Coates
Arsenal have the ball in the net again but the offside is clearer this time. Lacazette plays Smith Rowe through and the youngster is a yard beyond Fulham’s backline. Martinelli then hits the ball against Andersen and the deflection flies past Areola. The flag’s already up, though.
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ARSENAL 0-0 FULHAM (45+1’) 13:17 , Callum Rice-Coates
There’ll be one added minute.
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ARSENAL 0-0 FULHAM (43’) 13:15 , Callum Rice-Coates
Ceballos sends a corner towards the near post and Robinson heads clear.
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NO GOAL! ARSENAL 0-0 FULHAM (42’) 13:13 , Callum Rice-Coates
It won’t count! Saka’s toe was offside and the ever-popular VAR rules out the goal.
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GOAL! ARSENAL 1-0 FULHAM (CEBALLOS 40’) 13:11 , Callum Rice-Coates
Arsenal find the breakthrough! A cross from Martinelli is flicked on by Lacazette and drops for Saka, who instead of shooting picks out Bellerin to his right. The Spaniard floats the ball to the back post, where Ceballos arrives and guides a header expertly past Areola.
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ARSENAL 0-0 FULHAM (39’) 13:10 , Callum Rice-Coates
Robinson fouls Saka in Fulham’s half and Xhaka hits the free kick towards the box. It’s a poor ball, though, and easily cleared.
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ARSENAL 0-0 FULHAM (34’) 13:05 , Callum Rice-Coates
Fulham will probably be pretty happy with how things are going at the moment. They were penned in for the first ten minutes but since then they’ve matched Arsenal.
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ARSENAL 0-0 FULHAM (30’) 13:02 , Callum Rice-Coates
Arsenal work their way to the edge of Fulham’s area but it’s all a bit sluggish and ponderous in the final third. Eventually, Saka tries to liven things up with a burst of speed on the left. He goes down under a challenge from Aina but his appeals for a free kick are ignored.
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ARSENAL 0-0 FULHAM (29’) 13:00 , Callum Rice-Coates
Lacazette clips Anguissa, allowing Lookman to lift a free kick into the box. Tosin heads it on for Andersen, who sends a looping header of his own straight into the hands of Ryan.
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ARSENAL 0-0 FULHAM (26’) 12:58 , Callum Rice-Coates
Saka crosses from the right and the ball appears to strike Tosin on the arm in the box. There are no appeals from Arsenal’s players, though.
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ARSENAL 0-0 FULHAM (23’) 12:55 , Callum Rice-Coates
Elneny surges forward and finds Martinelli to his left. The Brazilian’s low cross is again turned behind by Andersen. From the corner, Areola claims easily.
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ARSENAL 0-0 FULHAM (22’) 12:54 , Callum Rice-Coates
Smith Rowe tries his luck from the edge of the box and sends the ball flying over the bar.
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ARSENAL 0-0 FULHAM (21′) 12:53 , Callum Rice-Coates
Agonisingly close for Fulham! The ball breaks to De Cordova-Reid in a central position. He has space to shoot and his low effort deflects into the path of Maja. His first-time shot is scuffed but wrong foots Ryan, who can only watch as the ball trickles inches wide.
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ARSENAL 0-0 FULHAM (17’) 12:49 , Callum Rice-Coates
Lacazette and Smith Rowe almost link up intricately on the edge of the box but the former’s attempted through ball is cut out.
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ARSENAL 0-0 FULHAM (16’) 12:47 , Callum Rice-Coates
Fulham spend a couple of minutes knocking the ball around in defence but never threaten to go anywhere with it.
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ARSENAL 0-0 FULHAM (13’) 12:45 , Callum Rice-Coates
Martinelli accelerates away from Aina and hits a low cross towards the near post. Lacazette is the target but Andersen just about manages to turn it behind. Nothing comes of the corner.
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ARSENAL 0-0 FULHAM (11’) 12:43 , Callum Rice-Coates
The first moment of promise for Fulham as Lookman drives into the box from the left flank but sees his cross intercepted.
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ARSENAL 0-0 FULHAM (10’) 12:42 , Callum Rice-Coates
Fulham have hardly touched the ball so far. Arsenal look confident after their Europa League escapades.
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ARSENAL 0-0 FULHAM (7’) 12:39 , Callum Rice-Coates
It’s all Arsenal in the opening stages. And they come close to taking the lead again. Smith Rowe darts down the right, reaching the byline and pulling back towards the penalty spot. Martinelli meets it with a low shot, which requires a smart save by Areola, diving to his left.
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ARSENAL 0-0 FULHAM (4’) 12:36 , Callum Rice-Coates
Bellerin gets in down the right and crosses from the byline. Andersen heads clear, before dealing with another ball into the box from Saka.
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ARSENAL 0-0 FULHAM (1’) 12:34 , Callum Rice-Coates
Close! An early chance as Lacazette picks up the ball in a pocket of space and lifts a clever pass over the top for Martinelli. The youngster tries to guide the bouncing ball over the head of the onrushing Areola, but sends it just wide.
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KICK-OFF 12:31 , Callum Rice-Coates
Arsenal get us underway!
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12:27 , Callum Rice-Coates
The players make their way out at the Emirates…
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BARREN RUN 12:24 , Callum Rice-Coates
Fulham haven’t beaten Arsenal since 2012, when Bobby Zamora got the winning goal in a 2-1 victory at Craven Cottage. Almost a decade on, can the Cottagers change their fortunes? We’ll find out very soon.
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12:19 , Callum Rice-Coates
History is very much on Arsenal’s side…
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SCOTT PARKER SPEAKS TO SKY SPORTS 12:12 , Callum Rice-Coates
“In every good team you need leaders and characters, even more so when you’re facing adversity. You need that more than ever and we’ll need that today on the pitch. I’ve got an unbelievable squad here, a team of players who’ve given everything and I expect the same today. Constant belief, I see that with this team. With the quality this league possesses, it’s difficult. But we’ve had some big results and we need to come here today and do the same.”
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MIKEL ARTETA SPEAKS TO SKY SPORTS 12:10 , Callum Rice-Coates
“It’s about putting in another strong performance again today. There are players that haven’t recovered from the game and we have to be very careful. There are others that deserve to play. I put Mat [Ryan] in because he trained like a beast. I expect them [Fulham] to play with a lot of energy and make it hard for us.”
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ROY KEANE ON POGBA 12:03 , Callum Rice-Coates
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LAST MEETING 12:00 , Callum Rice-Coates
These two sides met back in September on the opening day of the Premier League season, and it was an inauspicious start for newly-promoted Fulham. Goals from Alexandre Lacazette, Gabriel and Pierre-Emerick Aubamayeng gave Arsenal a comfortable victory at Craven Cottage.
The Gunners’ early promise soon tailed off, while Fulham never really recovered from the early setback, even if there was gradual improvement over the next few months.
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HOW IT STANDS 11:45 , Callum Rice-Coates
Arsenal are currently ninth but can move to within two points of rivals Spurs with a win today. Even if the priority is now evidently winning the Europa League, the Gunners will still want to finish as high as possible.
Fulham, meanwhile, are running out of time in their bid for survival. Four successive defeats have left Scott Parker’s side seven points adrift in the bottom three, and they’ve played a game more than Burnley and Brighton directly above them.
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CHANGES 11:37 , Callum Rice-Coates
Mikel Arteta has rotated heavily following Thursday night’s emphatic Europa League quarter-final win over Slavia Prague. Mat Ryan, Hector Bellerin, Gabriel, Mohamed Elneny and Gabriel Martinelli all come into the side.
Fulham make five changes to the side that lost against Wolves last time out: Ademola Lookman, Tosin Adarabioyo, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Josh Maja and Ivan Cavaleiro start for the visitors.
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TEAM NEWS 11:30 , Callum Rice-Coates
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11:27 , Lawrence Ostlere
Team news coming right up…