Arsenal's Profits and Losses After Saka Returns

Gloom enveloped Emirates Stadium when Bukayo Saka was sidelined for three months due to injury. Now, the atmosphere at the home of the "Gunners" has brightened again as Saka returns to the field. The 25-year-old player scored the second goal in the English Premier League match between Arsenal and Fulham on Wednesday (2/4/2025) in London.

Saka scored the second goal in the 73rd minute after Mikel Merino had earlier electrified the stadium with the opening goal in the 37th minute. Fulham, which has been a stumbling block for Arsenal this season, managed to score only a consolation goal during injury time through Rodrigo Muniz.

His arrival lifted the spirits of the entire stadium.

Upon entering the field as a substitute in the 66th minute, replacing Ethan Nwaneri, Saka was greeted with cheers from the audience who had missed his presence on the pitch. Just seven minutes after being on the field, Saka had already changed the numbers on the scoreboard with his header. Arsenal's 2-1 victory was highly significant as it reduced the point gap with Liverpool at the top of the standings to nine points.

The audience is increasingly enamored with Saka due to his gentlemanly demeanor. After scoring a goal, Saka approached the bench to express his gratitude to the Arsenal officials. They had worked hard to manage Saka's injury, enabling him to perform at his best.

The return of Saka also signifies the restoration of Arsenal's attacking sharpness when entering the final third of the field. The goal against Fulham demonstrated how tactical Saka is when receiving a cross from Gabriel Martinelli. Without any marking from Fulham players, Saka was free to run down the right wing and was swiftly ready to meet the pass.

"His arrival lifted the spirit of the entire stadium," said Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta. According to Arteta, the warm welcome from the supporters proves how much Saka is deeply loved.

Meanwhile, midfielder Declan Rice has praised his team-mate as one of the best wingers in the world.

"His instincts in front of the goal are extraordinary. He attacks the penalty box and sniffs out goals. Bukayo's return gives us a boost," added Rice.

However, the victory over Fulham has not made Arsenal feel comfortable. They still depend on the result of the match between Liverpool and Everton in the Merseyside derby, Thursday (3/4/2025) early morning WIB. With eight games left to play, Arsenal still has the opportunity to pursue their first title since 2004.

Saka, who has been out since suffering an injury on December 21, 2024 in a Premier League match against Crystal Palace, has indeed returned at the right time. Starting next week, his energy is needed to face Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Saka's return against Fulham was good news for Arsenal. Unfortunately, the match also caused injuries to two Arsenal defenders. They were Gabriel Magalhaes who had a hamstring injury, and Jurrien Timber who had a problem with his knee.

In fact, two other defenders have already been rested, namely Ben White and Riccardo Calafiori. The condition of Magalhaes and Timber is also uncertain whether they can be played or not in the next match.

"Calafiori, White, Jurrien and Gabriel Magalhaes. You can imagine how I feel losing them in defence in one week," Arteta was quoted as saying by The Guardian, Wednesday (2/4/2025).

Arteta said he had never experienced a worse season than this one due to repeated player injuries.

“The lesson is that these things happen all season. You look at (Gabriel) Martinelli today, we lost him for three months. You look at Bukayo, Kai (Havertz) four months. Gabriel Jesus, nearly the whole season. We want it so badly that we will really go for it and we are really excited for next week,” Arteta said.

With the increasingly minimalist back line, Arteta must find a strategy to face Real Madrid in the first leg of the quarter-finals, Wednesday (9/4/2025) early morning WIB. Meanwhile, in the Premier League, Arsenal is also required to be able to narrow the points gap from Liverpool.

In other matches, Nottingham Forest embarrassed Manchester United, 1-0, which ironically was scored by Anthony Elanga, a former “Red Devils” player. Meanwhile, Wolverhampton Wanderers pocketed three crucial points after beating West Ham, 1-0, which pushed Wolverhampton away from the relegation zone. (AP)