Fulham were seconds away from a victory that would have made survival seem a little more realistic and perhaps put the wind back in their sails for a great escape. This prospect seems extremely distant now, and their early desolation has suggested that I know it. They led through Josh Maja’s penalty in the second half and, largely due to a heroic performance by goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, seemed to have rejected an Arsenal dam as the game entered its seventh minute. from the break.
Then Mat Ryan, who started at home in Arsenal’s goal, advanced up for a corner and managed to pass the ball over the goal. He was punched back by Dani Ceballos and Areola, who unsuccessfully claimed to have been unseen by an offside Rob Holding, rejected the shot. But substitute Eddie Nketiah has been positioned to stab a draw that leaves no one particularly happy: a draw is an almost fatal blow to Arsenal’s remaining hopes of qualifying for European football on the domestic route.
In the end, Fulham’s contingent sank to its knees; in the meantime, they could be happy enough with the parity given to Arsenal, who had come out with their tails raised before losing their way, had just been denied a finger-length lead. Like many who do not fit the VAR, which takes place weekly in such a way as to degrade an entire sport, there was nothing wrong with Ceballos’ 41-minute header at first glance. He had been one of the three Arsenal players in line to turn Héctor Bellerín’s precise cross into the far goal, managing to do so with a firm finish over Areola. But events on the field differed from the lines and angles at Stockley Park, where Simon Hooper established that Bukayo Saka had been offside when he controlled Gabriel Martinelli’s cross and fed Bellerín. It seems that the end of his straight boot stretched a fraction beyond that of Antonee Robinson.
The incident was followed by a long break, but Arsenal, full of life after Thursday’s resounding victory in Prague, flew out of the traps earlier. He should have scored in two minutes when Alexandre Lacazette, so influential in securing progress in the Europa League semifinals, showed an exceptional vision to hit a pass in the way of Martinelli. Martinelli had to pass the ball over Areola in advance and found the height, but not the direction, the ball twisting slightly off the left post of the goalkeeper. If scored, the VAR could have difficulty discerning whether or not it was offside by the width of a finger.
There would have been no need for a overhaul if, shortly afterwards, Martinelli’s first shot from 10 meters had defeated Areola. The chance came after Emile Smith Rowe rushed to the line and, with space at the first, managed to reduce. Areola suddenly fell into a crowded box to save with his left hand and Fulham kept hoping to establish a platform.
Scott Parker, like Mikel Arteta, had made five changes to his starting lineup and opted for speed on the counter. Maja, Ademola Lookman, Ivan Cavaleiro and Bobby Decordova-Reid have it all and the team looked similar to the one that, five games earlier, had won Fulham a victory at Anfield and apparently a clear way to survive. They stabilized in the period between these misses and Ceballos’ frustration, playing patiently around the Arsenal press at times and had a chance to return in the middle of the first half. Decordova-Reid’s deflected shot fell kindly to Maja in the box and, inside Holding’s leg, his first shot dribbled millimeters wide.
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This level of penetration would not be enough to improve their fortune, but from the first moment of threat after the break, they found an unlikely discovery. Arsenal had knocked on the door again, Lacazette was striking wide and Saka was grabbing the outside of a post with a cross shot, but then Mario Lemina led a Fulham charge. Gabriel cut his attempt to pass through Ola Aina, but, having a second bite while the ball ran, Lemina understood in front of the central defender of Arsenal. He went down, the contact probably anticipated somewhat as the pair clashed and, although Craig Pawson initially seemed reluctant to award a penalty, a look at his assistant referee reinforced his decision. This time, the VAR found nothing to deny after checking again for a close offside call earlier in the move, and in the end, Parker barely managing to follow from the contact line, Maja defeated the rookie of Ryan home on the spot.
Arteta threw herself into the cavalry, but immediately saw Lacazette limping into a development that might still be bad for their European hopes. One of the substitutes, Nicolas Pépé, wondered how he equalized after a header was saved brilliantly by Areola, Tosin Adarabioyo completing the ball.
Fulham almost managed to get through, the inspired Areola denying Martinelli and Nketiah. Then came the sting that certainly makes their survival task too abrupt.