Mon Dec 09 00:32:12 UTC 2024: ## Arsenal Denied Victory by Late Offside Call in 1-1 Draw at Fulham

**London, England** – Arsenal’s hopes of securing a crucial three points were dashed by a controversial late offside decision in their 1-1 draw against Fulham at Craven Cottage. Despite dominating possession (67%) and creating numerous chances, the Gunners were forced to settle for a point after a late Bukayo Saka goal was ruled out by VAR.

Raúl Jiménez gave Fulham a shock lead in the 11th minute, capitalizing on a rare foray into Arsenal’s half. However, Arsenal leveled in the 52nd minute, with Declan Rice’s corner finding Kai Havertz, whose header fell to William Saliba for a simple tap-in. The goal highlighted Arsenal’s prowess from set-pieces; it was their 36th corner-related goal since the start of the 2022-23 season.

Arsenal pushed for a winner, and Saka thought he had delivered it in the 88th minute with a close-range header. However, the celebrations were cut short when VAR determined Gabriel Martinelli was offside in the build-up, denying Arsenal a vital victory. This draw extends Arsenal’s poor away record when trailing at half-time under Mikel Arteta; they’ve now won only one of their last 24 such matches.

While Arsenal will be disappointed to have dropped points, Fulham will be pleased with their hard-fought draw against a superior opponent. The full match statistics, including expected goals and passing networks, are available on [Link to Opta stats page].

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