More injury woes for Arsenal as returning Saka hits winner
Football
By
AFP
| Apr 03, 2025
Nottingham Forest beat Manchester United 1-0 to close in on Champions League football next season as Bukayo Saka scored in Arsenal's 2-1 win over Fulham on his return from injury on Tuesday.
Arsenal maintained some pressure on leaders Liverpool by cutting the gap at the top to nine points.
Saka stole the headlines by coming off the bench to head in on his first appearance since December 21.
"A beautiful moment to see how much our people love and respect Bukayo," said Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta on the ovation Saka received as he entered the pitch and after scoring.
Mikel Merino's deflected effort had given Arsenal a first-half lead.
READ MORE
Doctors set 90-day ultimatum for pay talks, warn of strike
Kenya, Italy adopt four-year cooperation plan after Ruto-Meloni talks
However, victory came at a cost as key defender Gabriel Magalhaes limped off injured.
Rodrigo Muniz pulled a goal back in stoppage time, but defeat is a blow to Fulham's ambitions of European football next season.
Just one week away from the Gunners' Champions League quarter-final, first leg against Real Madrid, the sight of Gabriel pulling up with a hamstring problem added to Mikel Arteta's injury woes.
Jurrien Timber also had to be replaced late on with Arsenal already missing Riccardo Calafiori, Ben White, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus.
Saka's introduction was greeted with the biggest cheer of the night until that point at the Emirates Stadium when he replaced Ethan Nwaneri 25 minutes from time.
The England international took just eight minutes to net his 10th goal of the season.
Saka was in the right place to head in from close range after Gabriel Martinelli flicked on Merino's cross.
In Nottingham, former United winger Anthony Elanga came back to haunt his former club with a stunning solo effort after just five minutes at the City Ground to earn all three points for Nuno Espirito Santo's side.
Third-placed Forest extend their lead over Newcastle in sixth to 10 points.
Thanks to the strong performance of English sides in European competitions this season, the top five will almost certainly qualify for the Champions League.
Forest are two-time European champions but have not played in the continent's elite competition since they were holders in 1980.
Elanga was discarded by United in 2023 after a bright start to his career at Old Trafford, but is one of many Forest success stories fulfilling his potential under Nuno.
The Swedish international collected possession deep inside his own half but showed blistering pace to burst into the United box before firing low past Andre Onana.
"He's a special boy and he gives this team his speed. He does it by himself and we are delighted," said Nuno.
Just a year after battling to narrowly avoid relegation, Forest are enjoying an unexpected fairytale season that also includes progressing to the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 34 years.
They had been forced through 120 minutes and penalties to beat Brighton in Saturday's quarter-final and were also without top scorer Chris Wood due to injury.
"This season is like that. We had a lot of shots on goal, we pushed the opponent to the last third, but in the last third we had a lack of quality," said United boss Ruben Amorim.
"We should have won this game, not even drawn, but in the end we have lost three points."
Amorim resorted to sending on centre-back Harry Maguire as a makeshift striker in the closing stages and he nearly grabbed an equaliser in stoppage time when his shot was cleared off the line by Murillo.