Arsenal surge six points clear with 3-0 win over Fulham

Arsenal did the immediate damage in the title race by beating Fulham 3-0 at Emirates Stadium and opening a six-point lead over Manchester City, but the arithmetic still leaves Pep Guardiola’s side a route back. City have two games in hand, so if they win both they can wipe out the entire gap, which makes Arsenal’s improved goal difference valuable and the run-in far from settled.

Viktor Gyokeres scored twice and Bukayo Saka added the third as Arsenal produced a dominant home performance that was finished before the pressure of the closing stages could build. It was the first time Arsenal had scored more than once in a match since March 14 against Everton, ending an eight-game stretch in all competitions in which the attack had looked sluggish and predictable. The timing mattered as much as the scoreline, because Arsenal have been trying to restore momentum while protecting a lead at the top.

Fulham offered little resistance, and their task was made harder by a virus that affected the squad in the buildup. They have never beaten Arsenal in an away league match, and that record remained intact as Arsenal controlled the contest and converted pressure into goals with far greater sharpness than in recent weeks. The victory also boosted Arsenal’s goal difference, a detail that could prove decisive if the points race tightens again.

The result came with another complication for Mikel Arteta’s side: a Champions League semi-final on Tuesday, which adds strain to an already demanding finish. Arsenal are still trying to end a 22-year wait for the Premier League title, last won in 2003-04, and the path now is clear enough. If Manchester City win their games in hand and Arsenal drop points under the weight of European and domestic commitments, the cushion disappears. If Arsenal keep matching their rivals and keep scoring like they did against Fulham, the six-point margin becomes a serious hold on the championship rather than a temporary advantage.