The Emirates crowd only got louder for Bukayo Saka as the night went on. First, his name was read among the substitutes; then he warmed up; then he stepped onto the pitch with 24 minutes left; and finally, he made it all count, scoring just seven minutes after coming on.
It had been more than three months since Saka last played for Arsenal, his hamstring injury and surgery meticulously planned to ensure a smooth return. But even with all the preparation, no one could have predicted such a perfect comeback. Arsenal were already in control against Fulham, but Saka’s goal put the result beyond doubt in a dominant performance following the international break. Rodrigo Muniz’s stoppage-time strike gave the visitors a late consolation, but Arsenal’s 2-1 victory was never truly in question.
Mikel Arteta decided against starting Saka, but his pre-match claim that the winger was “ready to go” proved to be spot on. Saka wasted no time in making an impact, ghosting in at the back post to nod home after Gabriel Martinelli’s clever flick from a Mikel Merino cross. His celebration said it all—arms raised, tongue between his teeth, a message to the Arsenal faithful that he was back and ready for the battles ahead. He even took a moment to embrace Sam Wilson, the club’s lead physical performance coach, a key figure in his recovery.
With Real Madrid awaiting in the Champions League quarter-finals, Saka’s timely return is a huge boost for Arsenal. But he wasn’t the only bright spark on the night. Merino opened the scoring just before half-time, capitalizing on an Ethan Nwaneri cut-back to fire past Bernd Leno with the help of a slight deflection off Jorge Cuenca. Nwaneri was outstanding throughout, showing a composure far beyond his years, and Arteta will no doubt be thrilled by his rapid progress. After the break, Arsenal dominated, launching wave after wave of attacks. The second goal seemed inevitable, but it had to wait for Saka’s moment.
Despite all the positives, Arteta will have left the match with some concerns. Myles Lewis-Skelly and William Saliba switched off in the closing moments, allowing Muniz to score late on. But more troubling was the hamstring injury that forced Gabriel off after just 16 minutes. With crucial fixtures ahead, losing the Brazilian defender for any length of time could prove costly.
Still, this night was all about Saka. One hundred and one days after his last game, twenty games later, he returned and delivered. Arsenal will hope this is just the beginning of another decisive run from their star man.