Gyökeres’ brace boosts Arsenal title race

Viktor Gyökeres scored twice as Arsenal sent out an emphatic Premier League title warning to Manchester City with a 3-0 victory against Fulham at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

Bukayo Saka, making his first start since Arsenal lost to City in the Carabao Cup final on March 22, was the architect, laying on Gyökeres’ ninth-minute opener before he then doubled his side’s advantage with five minutes of the opening period left.

Gyökeres increased Arsenal’s tally to three prior to the interval when he headed home Leandro Trossard’s cross in first-half stoppage time.

The Gunners now lead City by six points, with a better goal difference of four having played two matches more.

Pep Guardiola’s side are up against Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium today and then at home to Brentford before Arsenal’s next league outing against relegation-threatened West Ham.

Arsenal have been a bundle of nerves at the Emirates for much of the calendar year as they chase their first league title in 22 years.

But here, the shackles were off as Mikel Arteta’s men delivered possibly their best first-half performance of the season to breathe fresh impetus into their stuttering championship chase.

Arsenal’s short free-kick appeared to be going nowhere, but after Saka received the ball from Myles Lewis-Skelly, he cut back on his left foot to leave Raúl Jiménez on the Emirates turf.

Jiménez’s sudden exit from the act allowed Saka to play a slide-rule pass across the six-yard box and Gyokeres could not miss.

Fulham were prisoners in their own half and Riccardo Calafiori looked to have landed Arsenal a well-deserved two-goal lead after 29 minutes only for VAR to intervene — the defender having strayed offside.

But Saka delivered in the 40th minute.

Eberechi Eze’s exquisite pass found Gyökeres in the right-hand channel and he dissected two Fulham defenders to reach Saka, with the England man seeing off Bernd Leno at his near post.

The Emirates was still celebrating when Trossard was afforded the freedom of north London to race unopposed to the Fulham area before he crossed for Gyökeres who headed back across Leno to complete his brace.

With Arsenal’s second leg with Atletico on Tuesday in mind, Saka was replaced at the interval and Gyökeres might have had his hat trick on the hour mark only for Leno to stand firm. –Soccernet