Sports
GABRIEL Magalhaes made amends for a terrible mistake by scoring a late winner as Arsenal maintained their 100 per cent English Premier League record with a 2-1 victory over Fulham.
Aleksandar Mitrovic capitalised on Gabriel’s error to give the Cottagers the lead with his 100th goal for the club against the run of play.
This was as Saturday’s London derby burst into life in the second half at Emirates Stadium.
Martin Odegaard equalised with a deflected strike and Gabriel scrambled the ball home in the 85th minute after former Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno flapped at a corner-kick.
Victory for the Gunners in Mikel Arteta’s 100th Premier League game in charge made it four out of four in the top-flight this season and put them back at the top of the table.
Arsenal zipped the ball around with swagger in a promising start and Granit Xhaka burst into the penalty area to volley off target after Gabriel Jesus set him up.
Leno produced a fine save to deny Bukayo Saka an opening goal when the winger found himself through one-on-one.
This was in a first half where Arteta’s side dominated but lacked a cutting edge.
Leno was called into action again early in the second half, palming away Odegaard’s drive and smothering a shot from the lively Jesus.
It was Fulham who took the lead 11 minutes into the second half courtesy of a gift from Gabriel.
He was made to pay for dallying on the ball when Mitrovic robbed him and slotted beyond Aaron Ramsdale.
Arsenal were level eight minutes later, though, when the excellent Odegaard’s left-footed shot from just inside the area deflected in off Tosin Adarabioyo.
Mitrovic almost restored Fulham’s lead with a powerful header that tested Ramsdale’s reactions and Ben White’s block thwarted Bobby De Cordova-Reid following up.
Eddie Nketiah flashed a shot wide of the far post and fired straight at Leno as Arsenal piled on pressure.
But Gabriel pounced to prod in from close range when the Fulham goalkeeper made a mess of trying to deal with a corner-kick from the left.
Nathaniel Chalobah could have snatched a point, but Ramsdale denied him to ensure Arsenal have maximum points in a promising start to the campaign.(dpa/NAN)
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Tags: Arsenal Gabriel Magalhaes
