Fulham 2-1 Arsenal: Player ratings as Gunners miss chance to end 2023 on top
Arsenal's winless run stretched to three games as Fulham deservedly edged an entertaining London derby at Craven Cottage on Sunday afternoon.
Bukayo Saka was on hand to open the scoring in just the fifth minute, but the hosts responded well and levelled matters through Raul Jimenez.
The Gunners couldn't raise their game and some haphazard defending allowed Bobby De Cordova-Reid to slam home the winner in the 59th minute.
Arsenal began with killer intent and were ahead after five minutes as they hit their hosts on the counter attack.
Gabriel Martinelli scrambled up-field and drifted into the box before his shot was palmed into the path of Saka. The England forward was just onside and reacted quickest to loop the ball over Bernd Leno and into the net.
However, the early vibrancy from the visitors somewhat died off as Fulham worked their way back into the contest. Jimenez brought David Raya into meaningful action for the first time with a stinging drive from a cross, while De Cordova-Reid's appeals for a penalty after buckling under William Saliba's challenge went unheard.
The Cottagers' improvement was rewarded with a well-worked equaliser. A fierce Calvin Bassey challenge helped Willian find space on the left and feed Tom Cairney, whose cross arrowed towards the far post where Jimenez was waiting to connect sweetly.
Arsenal were under-par for most of the first half, though Martinelli nearly poked them ahead before the interval after sharp interplay between Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard.
The opening exchanges in the second half saw Fulham maintain their momentum, holding firm in defence while probing in the final third, and Marco Silva's side bagged the third goal of the contest to go ahead for the first time.
A corner prompted
Read on 90min.com
