Fulham assert a triumphant victory while Arsenal endure a significant setback in the pursuit of the Premier League championship.

Bobby Reid of Fulham celebrated with teammate Calvin Bassey after scoring their team’s second goal during the Premier League match against Arsenal at Craven Cottage. Arsenal missed the opportunity to end 2023 at the top of the Premier League table as Bobby De Cordova-Reid secured a 2-1 comeback victory for Fulham.

The match started well for Arsenal, with Bukayo Saka scoring on the fifth minute after Bernd Leno saved Gabriel Martinelli’s shot. However, Fulham responded strongly and dominated the rest of the first half. Raul Jimenez equalized for Fulham, scoring his fourth goal in four matches from Tom Cairney’s cross.

Arsenal struggled in the second half, and Fulham took advantage. De Cordova-Reid scored the winning goal for Fulham just before the hour mark, capitalizing on Arsenal’s failure to deal with a corner. Fulham looked more likely to score in the closing stages of the game, hitting the crossbar through substitute Andreas Pereira.

The result keeps Arsenal in fourth place, two points behind league leaders Liverpool. Fulham, on the other hand, rise to 13th place after ending their three-match losing streak. Both teams will now shift their focus to the FA Cup third round, with Fulham facing Rotherham at home and Arsenal hosting Liverpool in what is arguably the tie of the round.

This was another disappointing performance from Arsenal, extending their winless run to three league matches. The lack of goal threat in their recent defeats is concerning, especially after their impressive draw against Liverpool. Calls for a new striker in the January transfer window will likely intensify after this result.

Tom Cairney was named the player of the match for Fulham. He put in a strong defensive performance and provided an exquisite cross for Jimenez’s equalizer.

Player Ratings:
FULHAM: Leno 7, Castagne 8, Tosin 8, Bassey 9, Robinson 8, Palhinha 8, Cairney 9, De Cordova-Reid 8, Willian 8, Iwobi 8, Jimenez 8. Subs: Andreas 7, Wilson 7, Diop 7, Reed n/a.
ARSENAL: Raya 7, White 6, Saliba 6, Gabriel 7, Kiwior 6, Odegaard 6, Rice 6, Havertz 6, Saka 6, Nketiah 5, Martinelli 6. Subs: Tomiyasu 6, Jesus 5, Trossard 5, Nelson 5.

Match Highlights:
05′ – GOAL! – Fulham 0-1 Arsenal: (Saka). Martinelli’s shot is saved by Leno, but Saka is there to score from the rebound.
29′ – GOAL! – Fulham 1-1 Arsenal: (Jimenez). Jimenez scores from Cairney’s low cross after a break down the left.
59′ – GOAL! – Fulham 2-1 Arsenal: (De Cordova-Reid). De Cordova-Reid scores from close range after a right-wing corner.
88′ – FULHAM CHANCE! Andreas hits the crossbar with a superb free kick from 25 yards out.