Arsenal

Mikel Arteta warned Arsenal must "dramatically improve" their set-piece defending and avoid conceding cheap goals to stay on track this season.

It's true that it's something we must improve dramatically in the next few games if we want to keep winning." [Paulinho](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/258271/Paulinho) gave the home side the lead 10 minutes into the second half with a close-range finish before [Hidemasa Morita](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/270752/Hidemasa-Morita) suffered the misfortune of diverting [Granit Xhaka](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/149981/granit-xhaka)'s pass into his own net just after the hour mark. "Today we didn't defend that well enough and we have to be better at threatening the opponents as well. "Sometimes the opponents are really good at what they do. We spoke about the importance of boxes, especially in a competition when you're in or out. If we don't expose them though that's never going to happen.

Arsenal have conceded four goals in two games after shipping two apiece against Bournemouth and Sporting Lisbon; Mikel Arteta insisted his side must improve ...

We made a lot of changes today and sometimes that takes time to get that cohesion. "We had some positives because we showed a lot of resilience to get back in the game," he continued. You could feel in the first 15 minutes that it needed some time to adapt and click. "But we need to defend our box much better and we have to be in the return leg to beat them. "In other moments we had total control of the game and we lost a little bit of threat today, especially with the four players we are missing in our frontline. Mikel Arteta urged his much-changed Arsenal side to improve 'massively' after they needed to fight back to earn a scrappy 2-2 draw with Sporting Lisbon in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie on Thursday.

Granit Xhaka said the pressure has ramped up on Arsenal as they fight for the Premier League title but believes they have the mentality to cope.

But as long as you get the result, nobody will ask you at the end of May." But everything starts at the front, if nobody or not all of us are ready on this level, you get punched." We have to respect all the opponents, even if I think there is a good mentality in the team and let's try to keep that. But in general, I think we are doing well. However, Arsenal have shown greater resilience so far this season, and Xhaka said: "You can see that every team is playing different against us.

Details for Emirates clash. We can now confirm ticket details and sale dates for our Premier League fixture against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday ...

£10.00 Juniors aged 16 and under £16.50 Young adults aged 21 and under £16.50 Seniors aged 65+

Watch all the best of the action from our game against the Portuguese giants at the Estadio Jose Alvalade.

Copyright 2023 The Arsenal Football Club plc. However, Granit Xhaka’s shot spun off Hidemasa Morita and into the corner of the net to help ensure we went into the second leg at Emirates Stadium next week level pegging, and you can see that as well as everything else by watching the bitesize package above, with an extended cut and full match halves to come. Thursday night saw us battle it out with Sporting CP to claim a 2-2 draw in the Europa League, and you can see the best of the action in our highlights package.

Fulham host Premier League leaders Arsenal in this London derby at Craven Cottage on Sunday afternoon. Can Mikel Arteta's side win yet again?

Their most likely league finish is 10th (28.1%) or ninth (25.8%) while they still have a 0.6% chance of finishing in the top five. Fulham have lost just three of their 13 Premier League home games this season (W6 D4), going down to Newcastle, Man Utd and Spurs. Fulham’s poor Premier League record against the Gunners, coupled with four consecutive home defeats against them help to fuel this outcome. Manor Solomon has scored in each of his last five appearances for Fulham across all competitions (five goals). Bukayo Saka may have only turned 21 years old in September, but he’s already one of the best talents in the Premier League. Solomon, who had to deal with a knee injury that kept him out for the bulk of the Premier League action before the turn of the year after signing on loan from Shakhtar Donetsk, has arguably been Fulham’s key player in 2023. These three winners have all come in their last eight games (against Man Utd, Aston Villa and Bournemouth). Fulham’s defence has been impressive since the return of the Premier League post-World Cup on Boxing Day. This has helped the Gunners win a league-high 15 points from losing positions so far this term. The exceptions in this run were victories in March 2006 (vs. This was also the Serbian’s 100th goal in all competitions for Fulham. They have won all four of their away Premier League London derbies this season by an aggregate score of 8-0.

The FA have cleared Arsenal of any wrongdoing after reviewing the wild and chaotic celebrations caused by Reiss Nelson's dramatic stoppage time winner ...

'I've no comment to make on what Arsenal did. [Arsenal](/sport/teampages/arsenal.html) of any wrongdoing after reviewing the wild and chaotic celebrations caused by Reiss Nelson's stoppage time winner against [Bournemouth](/sport/teampages/bournemouth.html) last weekend. [Chris Kavanagh made a note of the celebrations after staff charged on the pitch](/sport/football/article-11826189/FA-looking-Arsenals-wild-celebrations-Reiss-Nelson-winner.html)

Arsenal are in control of their Europa League destiny after drawing Sporting CP in Portugal. But are set pieces becoming a legitimate worry?

Arsenal's William Saliba on the result: "Today it wasn't an easy game but we scored the first goal and then they brought it back to 1-1 and then made it 2-1. There was inevitably a little less fluidity to Arsenal's play -- especially with so many key players, including Gabriel, [Thomas Partey](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/189972/Thomas-Partey) and Odegaard, not involved from kickoff -- and at 2-1 down, [Paulinho](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/258271/Paulinho) missed a glorious chance to give the tie a completely different complexion. Arteta on the team's performance: "Considering that we conceded two goals away from home and you still come away with a draw, you have to take some positives. [Sporting CP](/football/team?id=2250) forward [Marcus Edwards](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/225552/Marcus-Edwards). Obviously, the second goal was lucky but Martinelli was through on goal and had a big chance. [Paulinho](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/258271/Paulinho) gave the home side the lead 10 minutes after the restart before [Gabriel Martinelli](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/269844/Gabriel-Martinelli) almost scored a sublime solo goal, dribbling from inside his own half and rounding Sporting goalkeeper [Antonio Adan](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/101871/Antonio-Adán), only for [Jeremiah St. Overall, it's everything to play for and we have to play at the Emirates." Once other teams, analysts and coaches see a potential weakness, you are going to have to nip that in the bud." Juste](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/215524/jerry-st-juste) to make a last-ditch intervention. He completed 31 of his 39 passes, but only 67% of those were in the final third. Arsenal restored parity on 62 minutes when [Sporting CP](/football/team?id=2250)'s [Hidemasa Morita](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/270752/Hidemasa-Morita) suffered the misfortune of diverting [Granit Xhaka](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/149981/Granit-Xhaka)'s pass into his own net. [William Saliba](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/277385/William-Saliba) opened the scoring with a 22nd-minute header from [Fábio Vieira](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/88865/Fabio-Vieira)'s corner before Sporting scored a similar goal at the other end 12 minutes later as [Gonçalo Inácio](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/304106/Gonçalo-Inacio) glanced home [Marcus Edwards](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/225552/Marcus-Edwards)' delivery.

Arsenal's Reiss Nelson, left, challenges for the ball with Sporting's Pedro Goncalves, right, and Sporting's Jeremiah St. Juste during the Europa League round ...

“We had periods in the game where we were in a lot of control,” reflected Arteta after the match, adding “but we lacked a little bit of strength in the final third because we had to adjust today with the players we did not have available. Despite plenty of endeavour in the closing stages, along with a raft of substitutes, this tie looks evenly set in London next Thursday, after an absorbing draw here in the Portuguese capital. Equally concerning was the bizarre way new Serie A arrival Kiwior ducked out of the way of the ball en route to Inacio. While the former Spezia defender appeared to have a handy burst of pace when required, it was his abject failure to contest for the ball in his own workplace that lingered long in the memory, his baffling bungle prompting serious fears over his viable, long-term future rather than any misplaced hilarity at such a revealingly poor vignette into his defensive ability. Amorim’s side rallied, with 21-year-old Goncalo Inacio testing Turner with a low shot from outside the area that the US keeper did well to turn away for a corner. If balmy sunshine on the Iberian peninsula — rather than snow in Britain — was the order of the day, there were to be no last-minute fireworks to match the intensity of last weekend's improbable comeback against Bournemouth to speak of.

After Reiss Nelson's 97th-minute goal to put Arsenal 3-2 up, their bench rushed onto the field at the Emirates Stadium in celebration. Referee Chris Kavanagh ...

[Fulham](https://theathletic.com/football/team/fulham/) at Craven Cottage on Sunday. [Manchester City](https://theathletic.com/football/team/manchester-city/) at the top of the [Premier League](https://theathletic.com/football/premier-league/) and manager Mikel Arteta was asked about the wild celebrations after the game [Arsenal](https://theathletic.com/football/team/arsenal/) will not face any further action from the FA for their celebrations during their late win over [Bournemouth](https://theathletic.com/football/team/bournemouth/) last Saturday.

Leandro Trossard is doubtful after injuring his groin against Bournemouth and Eddie Nketiah could miss out with an ankle injury. Manager Mikel Arteta has hinted ...

- Manor Solomon could become the first Fulham player to score in five consecutive Premier League matches. Leandro Trossard came off injured against the Cherries and Eddie Nketiah has lost his way a bit. - Arsenal have scored three winning goals in the 90th minute or later in the Premier League this season, all of which have come in their last eight fixtures. I really enjoyed watching the Gunners last week. Playing in the Europa League on Thursday is going to be a distraction for Arsenal but they have to focus on the Premier League now - when are they going to be in a position like this again? - The Gunners have the best away record in the Premier League, winning 10 of their 13 matches.

Fulham vs Arsenal. Premier League. 2:00pm, Sunday 12th March 2023. Craven Cottage.

FOOTBALL: Arsenal travel to Fulham in the latest test of the Gunners' Premier League title credentials this weekend as Manchester City aim to ramp up the ...

Fulham v Arsenal (9pm) Tottenham v Nottingham Forest (10pm) Leicester v Chelsea (10pm) Leeds v Brighton (10pm) Everton v Brentford (10pm) At the bottom of the table, nine clubs are separated by just six points.

Injured during the FIFA World Cup 2022, the Brazilian has missed the Gunners' last 12 Premier League matches, but he is now set to play a key role as his ...

[Mikel Arteta](https://www.premierleague.com/managers/53055/Mikel-Arteta/overview) is planning to reintroduce Jesus carefully. Arteta certainly deserves credit for his recent use of Trossard. Points/match box/match Shots/match Goals/match Without Jesus Expected Goals/match With Jesus Shots on target/match “Everything is going well. [Sign in](https://users.premierleague.com/?redirect_uri=https://www.premierleague.com/&app=pl-web) [](https://users.premierleague.com) [No Room For Racism](/NoRoomForRacism)