Arsenal made their long-awaited return to Premier League action on Tuesday night as they welcomed Fulham to the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners took the lead in the first half through Mikel Merino, who gave his side the advantage with his deflected strike.
That lead was doubled in the second half as Bukayo Saka made his return from injury and scored with a clever header at the back post.
Rodrigo Muniz scored a late one to add a little jeopardy, but the Gunners managed to see it out in fine fashion.
In the end, it all culminated in a huge win for Arsenal and one that added another three points to their Premier League tally.
So with that said, here’s a look at some winners and losers from the display at the Emirates Stadium.
Winners from Arsenal vs Fulham
Bukayo Saka
Making his return from injury, Bukayo Saka has finally recovered and is available once more for Arsenal.
The winger has been out of action since December, and his absence has been a real blow to the side, even with the impressive emergence of Ethan Nwaneri.
Saka came from the bench for a short cameo to ease his way back towards full fitness, and it came with some style too.
The Hale End academy graduate netted a goal with a close-range header to seemingly put the game out of sight.
Mikel Merino
Another game at striker and another goal for Mikel Merino as the star managed to show exactly why Mikel Arteta placed his faith in the Spaniard.
There was a touch of fortune as the midfielder’s strike took a wicked deflection into the back of the net, but they all count.
Merino will be like many in the striker role who need a run of goals to keep up that confidence and momentum, and he certainly has that now.
Gabriel Martinelli
Gabriel Martinelli looked back at his best on Tuesday night as he impressed on the left flank for Arsenal with arguably his best performance in a while.
The forward caused plenty of problems for his opposition, turning them inside and out before firing crosses in on a regular basis.
The Brazilian walked away with an assist for his troubles, while a disallowed goal denied him from having more to his name.
Thomas Partey
Midfielder Thomas Partey has been a regular this season and back to his best, with his display against Fulham showing exactly why he has been relied upon.
Some big challenges helped deny that away side on the break, screening and protecting the backline on a few occasions.
Losers from Arsenal vs Fulham
Gabriel Magalhaes
Another match, another injury concern for Arsenal.
Gabriel Magalhaes was withdrawn with a hamstring injury just 15 minutes into the match against Fulham, coming as a huge blow.
If it’s an injury that will keep him out, it will likely see him sidelined for the coming Champions League clashes with Real Madrid.
That comes as a huge problem for Arsenal as well as the defender himself, who will be desperate to feature in such an occasion.
Martin Odegaard
Martin Odegaard wasn’t quite at his best as he struggled to create many opportunities throughout the match.
The captain will be looking to step it up next time out, building some momentum for some important matches ahead.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
