Arsenal’s win against Fulham at the Emirates Stadium brought a new dimension to Arsenal’s title challenge, as the victory took them six points clear of Manchester City, who have two matches in hand.
The Gunners won the match 3-0, with Viktor Gyokeres scoring a brace and a Bukayo Saka goal sandwiched in between.
The Arsenal win was emphatic, even though Fulham were awful for the most part in the match.
However, the Gunners’ upcoming opponents can learn a thing or two from the match, as Arsenal’s title challenge got back on track
Arsenal’s Title Challenge: 21 Goals And Counting For Viktor Gyokeres
Gyokeres started in place of an injured Kai Havertz on Saturday.
Having the Swede upfront meant that the Gunners had a conventional striker to lead the line, who was always dangerous in and around the six-yard box.
Fulham’s two centre-backs should be in proximity with each other while guarding against the threat posed by Gyokeres. The Swede tends to get into an area near or inside the six-yard box to tap in crosses from the side. Hence, it becomes essential for the two centre-backs to mark the six-yard box while defending against him.
Moreover, when Fulham threw numbers upfront, the Gunners were always ready to play long balls forward immediately after winning back possession.
That is the obvious tactic they used because of having a proper marksman upfront, and Gyokeres scored his second goal from one such counter-attack.
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Arsenal’s Title Challenge: Chief Architect Bukayo Saka
However, Gyokeres is not the only player Arsenal’s opponents should be wary of ahead of Arsenal’s title challenge rampage.
Saka tormented the Fulham defence as long as he was on the pitch and was the chief contributor to the Gunners’ win, which has put Arsenal’s title challenge back on track.
The right-winger scored a goal and registered an assist in an exceptional performance in the first half.
Fulham made the cardinal mistake of using a solitary player to mark the inside-right channel against Saka’s runs most of the time.
Raul Jimenez slipped while doing so, which allowed Saka to go forward and deliver the cross for Arsenal’s first goal.
If the two centre-backs are busy guarding the six-yard box against Gyokeres’ runs, it becomes the duty of the left-back to take care of Saka’s runs through the inside-right channel. He probably cannot do it all by himself and should need cover from one of the defensive midfielders.
The other defensive midfielder, if the opposition team is playing with a 4-2-3-1, can then focus on blocking the attacking midfielder’s shots that they might take from the edge of the box.
Leaving Saka without proper marking is a gross mistake, as he once again showed on Saturday that he was Arsenal’s primary creative outlet.
Martin Odegaard did not play against Fulham, as he was rested, keeping the second leg of the UEFA Champions League against Atletico Madrid in mind.
The Arsenal captain’s presence would typically put more pressure through the inside-right channel, as he would combine with Saka frequently through that area.
Gyokeres moved to his right at times to do the same against Fulham, which means that Arsenal’s opposition will typically need multiple players to cover that area.
Saka’s threat is very much there from Arsenal’s counter-attacks, as the Gunners will typically target either him or Gyokeres for playing their long balls from their own half.
As the Gunners’ win against Fulham showed on Saturday, the Gunners’ upcoming opponents cannot afford to ignore those aspects of the game, as Arsenal’s title challenge gets going once again.
Another key tactical aspect for Arsenal’s opponents will be to decide whether to play off a mid-block or a low-block.
In order to put multiple players to guard against the Saka, it would be necessary to play off a low block most of the time. The opposition playing with a mid-block will mean that Arsenal will need only a through pass to set Saka free and keep Arsenal’s title challenge going in the right direction.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / NurPhoto
Recording Date: 02.05.2026
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