LONDON, May 2 (Reuters) - Arsenal opened up a six-point lead at the top of the Premier League on Saturday with a comfortable 3-0 win at home to Fulham, thanks to a first-half double from Viktor Gyokeres either side of a goal from Bukayo Saka.
The Gunners started brightly and with purpose, taking a deserved lead in the ninth minute when Saka put Raul Jimenez on his backside and laid the ball on a plate for Gyokeres to slot home.
Gyokeres returned the favour shortly before halftime, finding Saka who beat former Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno at his near post to double the lead.
The Sweden striker then ended the contest in added time, heading in Leandro Trossard's cross to cap an impressive performance with his 21st goal of the season in all competitions.
With one eye on Tuesday's Champions League semi-final second leg at home to Atletico Madrid, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta could afford to take off Saka, making his first start since the League Cup final on March 22, at halftime.
Gyokeres was denied his hat-trick by a good save from Leno before he too was replaced in a sedate second half with the victory long since wrapped up.
Arsenal move to 76 points from 35 games, with second-placed Manchester City on 70 points from 33 games – and, perhaps crucially, Arsenal now have a four-goal advantage on goal difference.
Fulham are 10th with 48 points from 35 games, three points behind west London rivals Brentford in sixth.
ARSENAL MAKE LIGHT WORK OF FULHAM
Arsenal made five changes from Wednesday's 1-1 draw at Atletico Madrid – whose manager Diego Simeone named an entirely different team for their trip to Valencia – with Saka captaining the Gunners in the absence of Martin Odegaard.
They made a fast start in a raucous atmosphere, in stark contrast to the nervousness at the Emirates Stadium during last Saturday's 1-0 win over Newcastle United.
Trossard dragged an early shot across the face of goal shortly before Saka left Jimenez behind and played a simple ball across the six-yard box which Gyokeres duly converted.
Fulham could barely get near their rampant hosts and Leno was repeatedly called into action, saving a Gabriel header from close range and a low effort from Gyokeres.
Riccardo Calafiori had a goal disallowed for offside before Arsenal got their second in the 40th minute after good hold-up play by Gyokeres, who played inside to Saka to fire home and then headed over Leno right before the break.
The second half was a non-event, with a marginally improved Fulham showing more fight but without laying a glove on Arsenal, who nearly added a fourth when Calafiori's header bounced off Leno's head and onto the bar with 10 minutes to play.
(Reporting by Sam Tobin; editing by Clare Fallon and Pritha Sarkar)
