Arsenal have moved six points clear at the Premier League summit after a clinical 3-0 victory over Fulham, spearheaded by the returning Bukayo Saka and a brace from Viktor Gyökeres.
Saka’s first start in six weeks provided the spark Mikel Arteta’s side desperately needed, easing recent title-race nerves following damaging losses to Bournemouth and Manchester City.
Gyökeres, now on 21 league goals following his move from Sporting, opened the scoring by tapping in a Saka cross before the England winger doubled the lead with a powerful near-post finish.
The Swedish forward capped a dominant first half by heading home his second, crucially extending Arsenal’s goal-difference advantage over City to four.
With the game secured, Arteta was able to withdraw Saka at half-time and rest key personnel like Declan Rice and Eberechi Eze ahead of Wednesday’s pivotal Champions League semi-final against Atlético Madrid.
While Manchester City still hold two games in hand, the result forces Pep Guardiola’s side into a flawless run-in to reclaim the top spot.
In the survival scrap, West Ham’s 3-0 defeat at Brentford has offered a lifeline to 18th-placed Tottenham, who can now exit the relegation zone with a win over Aston Villa on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Newcastle United climbed to 13th, snapping a five-game losing streak with a 3-1 win over Brighton to all but confirm their top-flight safety.