Arsenal stumble at Fulham after Saka’s late strike ruled out for offside

The good news is that it was better for Arsenal than last season. The bad news is that their run of successive wins was ended at four and they spurned an opportunity to apply pressure to the leaders, Liverpool. And worse, they were denied an 89th-minute winner by a tight – but correct – offside call by the video assistant referee.

Liverpool may feel, with six players out injured and Everton having put four past Wolves on Wednesday, that the postponement of Saturday’s Merseyside derby provided a welcome break before the rigours of the festive programme. However, it also gave Arsenal the opportunity to cut the gap to four which, even having played a game more, does not seem anywhere near as daunting as seven. As it is, the gap is six points and Liverpool have a game in hand. Everything at the moment is coming up Arne Slot.

It was this fixture last season that had imposed decisive damage on Arsenal’s title challenge. When the margin to the champions at the end of the season is as narrow as two points, all slip-ups are vital, but it was this game on New Year’s Eve that seemed most significant, all the more so as it came on the back of an unexpected 2-0 home defeat to West Ham. What happened at Craven Cottage, though, was worse, if only because Arsenal went ahead after five minutes and seemed comfortable before Raúl Jiménez’s equaliser and their subsequent collapse.

The impact may not be as great this season, and given how well Fulham are playing at the moment, there can be no assumption of away victory over them for any side but, still, it was impossible to avoid the sense of stalling momentum.

Arsenal have been much-improved since the return of Martin Ødegaard four games ago but there seemed a danger of them faltering again as Jiménez put Fulham ahead after 11 minutes.

To an extent the damage was self-inflicted as Jakub Kiwior drifted inexplicably towards the ball, offering the opportunity for Kenny Tete to slide a pass through for Jiménez to finish with crisp authority. Much of that first period went exactly as you imagine Marco Silva planned it: Arsenal having the bulk of possession but creating very little.

Sasa Lukic, operating alongside Sander Berge, was central to that. He is a player so much happier out of possession than he is with the ball that you can almost feel the relief among Fulham fans when he is tackled because that means he can get on with what he is best at: lunging in to win it back. Antonee Robinson, Fulham’s ever-impressive right-back, had a fine game as well. Where others have a tendency to standoff Bukayo Saka, he engaged him aggressively had had the better of their duel.

Fulham’s other first-half success was in negating Arsenal’s dead-ball threat in large part because of the way Adama Traoré, stationed at the back post next to William Saliba, was able to intercept his man with one chunky forearm, preventing him making a run across the goalkeeper. Perhaps his holding isn’t strictly legal but then a lot of what happens at corners these days isn’t; the whole 18-yard box has become a vast grey area. Four inswingers before half-time, three from Saka and one from Declan Rice produced no greater threat to the Fulham goal than Bernd Leno having to punch the ball awkwardly away when it looked to be swinging directly in.

But there’s a reason Arsenal fans sing the name of their set-piece coach, Nicolas Jover. The first corner Arsenal got in the second half was aimed not at one of the big defenders but deeper, to Kai Hazertz. He headed down and Saliba, coming into the centre, shrugged off Traoré and, remaining a fraction onside, turned the ball in, Arsenal’s 23rd goal from a corner since the start of last season.

Fulham, though, remained resolute, although Thomas Partey put a header just wide from another corner. Arsenal’s threat, though, remained largely restricted to set-pieces. Which is not really a criticism; having been for a long time a side who seemed to have to dominate games to win them, they now have a means of winning even when the rhythm isn’t quite upon them, or against sides who defend as well as Fulham did.

And Arsenal looked to have pinched it, Gabriel Martinelli’s cross being headed in at the back post by Saka, but VAR intervened. The Brazilian had been – just – in advance of the deepest Fulham defender. Liverpool’s lead remains daunting.