The Arsenal fans had come to see Bukayo Saka and when he took off his tracksuit, primed to enter as a 66th‑minute substitute, red shirt vividly lighting the scene, it is fair to say there was a reaction. It was mainly release. The three months without Saka have been hard, Arsenal’s Premier League title challenge slipping away as he recovered from a ruptured hamstring.
There was certainly a script to be written and, Saka being Saka, he set about it. Arsenal have an incredible home record in the league against Fulham – 24 wins, seven draws and no defeats before this. They were on their way to another victory thanks to Mikel Merino’s heavily deflected goal on 37 minutes, the latest return from the club’s makeshift No 9.
