The Arsenal fans had come to see Bukayo Saka and when he took off his tracksuit, primed to enter as a 66th-minute substitute, red shirt vividly lighting the scene, it is fair to say there was a reaction. It was mainly a release. The three months without Saka have been hard, Arsenal’s Premier League title challenge slipping away.

There was certainly a script there to be written and, Saka being Saka, he grabbed the pen and set to work. Arsenal have an incredible home record in the league against Fulham – 24 wins, seven draws and no defeats before this. They were on their way to another victory thanks to a Mikel Merino goal on 37 minutes, the latest return from the club’s makeshift No 9.