Arsenal's quest for the Premier League title suffered another setback with a 2-1 defeat at Fulham on Sunday, while Tottenham's 3-1 victory over Bournemouth narrowed the gap between the north London rivals.
The Gunners, aiming for their first league title in 20 years, endured two damaging defeats in four days, casting doubt on their aspirations. Mikel Arteta sought a response after a 2-0 home loss to West Ham on Thursday but expressed frustration at what he deemed the "worst performance of the season."
Arsenal remains in fourth place, trailing leaders Liverpool by two points and level on 40 points with Manchester City, albeit having played a game more than both title rivals.
Arteta voiced concern about their title prospects, saying, "If we play like today, we will be nowhere near. Today was a really difficult day to swallow. It's a sad day because we didn't deserve to win."
Despite a bright start at Craven Cottage that saw Bukayo Saka score his first goal in six games, Arsenal failed to capitalize. Fulham rallied, ending a three-game Premier League losing streak with Raul Jimenez's equaliser and Bobby De Cordova-Reid's close-range strike.
The rain-soaked encounter in west London could have seen further damage to Arsenal's title chances, but goalkeeper David Raya made key saves to deny Fulham.
Meanwhile, Tottenham closed in on the top four, just a point behind Arsenal, with a 3-1 victory over Bournemouth. Pape Sarr's early goal was followed by Son Heung-min's stylish finish and Richarlison's contribution, securing a crucial three points for Spurs. Despite Bournemouth's late goal, Spurs remain in the hunt for a top-four finish, sitting just three points off the league summit.
