August 26, (THEWILL) – Arsenal were held to a shocking 2-2 draw by Fulham at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
The home side looked poised to complete a dramatic comeback after substitute Eddie Nketiah put them ahead in the 72nd minute of a dramatic game. However, Joao Palhinha stunned the home crowd by equalising for Fulham from a corner kick.
The match started disastrously for Arsenal, as Bukayo Saka’s errant back pass was intercepted by Andreas Pereira, who slotted home to give Fulham a 1-0 lead just 57 seconds in. Saka made amends in the 64th minute by converting a penalty to tie the match at 1-1. The tension was relieved momentarily when Nketiah fired Arsenal ahead off the bench.
Arsenal’s habit of conceding early goals at home came back to haunt them again. They were unable to hold onto their late lead despite Fulham going down a man when Nigerian defender, Calvin Bassey, was sent off for a foul on Nketiah. The 10-man Cottagers showed resolve by finding the late equaliser from a corner.
The draw ends Arsenal’s perfect start to the season, leaving them with 7 points from 3 matches. Fulham earned a valuable road point to build on their bright start back in the Premier League. Arsenal boss, Mikel Arteta, will be disappointed his side could not make their chances count and close out the win at home. They were undone by their own early mistake and inability to protect a late lead. On Tuesday, Fulham take on Tottenham Hotspur in the EFL Cup while Arsenal are next up against Manchester United on Sunday.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
