Arsenal breeze past Fulham to provide perfect boost to title chase and that defining Champions League date

Gunning for precious points : Picture by @YTJourno

Premier League

Arsenal (3) 3 Gyokeres 9, 45+3 Saka 40

Fulham (0) 0

Arsenal rediscovered the art of winning comfortably in a performance which seemed more like the ones they were delivering so regularly at the start of the season rather than the stodgy fare of late.

They raced out of the blocks and blew Fulham away with a dazzling first half show that ensured they move six points clear of Man City - albeit having played two games more.

With just three to play, their points in the bag are precious. City travel to Everton on Monday night in the first of those games in hand.

The performance and result is a massive shot in the arm and ensures the mood and confidence will be dialled up to the max in midweek for the Champions League semi-final showdown against Atletico Madrid.

The start was full of pace and positivity. No signs of any fatigue after the trip to Madrid for the first leg. Myles Lewis-Skelly clearly relishing an all-too rare start. Leandro Trossard soon firing narrowly off target and looking in fine nick.

Within 10 minutes, the Gunners had the lead they craved as Bukayo Saka - captaining the side - skipped around Raul Jimenez, who slipped - and rolled a ball into the six yard box for Viktor Gyokeres to tap in for his 20th goal of the season.

He may have been maligned at times, but that is a decent return in his first season at the club.

The goal came in the same minute as the one last week which eventually accounted for Newcastle, but the aim was to avoid a repeat of the stressful match which unfolded then against the Magpies. They wanted a much bigger margin of error.

Fulham were struggling to get a kick. Sasa Lukic was booked for a trip on Ebere Eze as frustration got the better of the Serb. The Whites have never won an away fixture against the Gunners and were once again found wanting on their visit to north London. The only fleetingly offered their fans hope.

Bernd Leno spilled a cross but made amends by blocking Gyokeres' subsequent low shot and then Saka blasted the rebound wide, with the goal gaping. Next, Leandro Trossard floated a lovely ball up to the back stick and Riccardo Calafiori headed in - only for the goal to be ruled out for offside.

The fine front-foot play got the reward it deserved. Eze found Gyokeres with a ball into the right channel and the Swede held it up before laying off for Saka to burst into the box and fire into the bottom corner.

Tails up, Calafiori made another of his swashbuckling darts into space before laying off for Eze to bend a shot just too wide. The Gunners did not want the half to end and with good reason.

One final attack - countering some rare venturing forward by the Whites - ended with Trossard lifting the perfect cross for Gyokeres to nod past Leno. It ended a joyous first half for the Gunners.

Mikel Arteta had the luxury now of withdrawing Saka at the interval to save him for Tuesday night against Atleti. Declan Rice followed just past the hour.

Marco Silva looked less than happy at his team's passive display and saw his side show more fight at the restart. Jimenez's shot from distance did not clear the bar by much.

Timothy Castagne's near-post flicked header at a corner also went close. The defender also had a snap shot at David Raya after the ball broke for him on the edge of the box following a corner.

Although goal difference could yet come into play in the title race, Arsenal were more about good game management than going hell for leather in search of more goals. But they nearly added to their tally when Calafiori won a header that bounced off the head of Leno onto the crossbar.

And Max Dowman's weaving run from half way - while surrounded by White shirts - finished with him getting a shot away that would have been contender for goal of the season had it been on target.

Gunners: (4-2-3-1) Raya, White (Mosquera 83), Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori - Rice (Zubimendi 64), Lewis-Skelly - Saka (Madueke h/t), Eze (Dowman 77), Trossard - Gyokeres (Jesus 64)

Whites: (4-2-3-1) Leno - Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson - Lukic, Reed (Cairney 64) - Wilson (Bobb 64), Smith Rowe (Kusi-Asare 78), Chukwueze (King 64) - Jimenez (Muniz 73)

Attendance: 60,196