Arsenal whip Fulham in EPL season opener

LONDON: Arsenal began their English Premier League campaign with a 3-0 win at promoted Fulham thanks to

goals from Alexa­ndre Lacazette, new signing Gabriel and captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the opening game of the season on Saturday.

Gabriel and Willian enjoyed fine debuts for the Gunners, who made light work of their short trip across London to Craven Cottage and dominated against Fulham.

Lacazette scored the season’s opening goal in the eighth minute after poor defending by the home side before 22-year old Brazilian defender Gabriel, who joined Arsenal from Ligue 1 side Lille, made it 2-0 in the 49th with a close-range header.

Captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang put the icing on the cake with a superb shot into the top corner in the 57th minute and missed a pair of gilt-edged chances in the closing stages to inflict even more damage on the home side.

Right back Denis Odoi forced a save from Arsenal keeper Bernd Leno early on but that was as good as it got for Fulham, whose opening-day performance suggests that staying in the top flight could be a tall order.

Lacazette was left with the simple task of poking the ball in from close range after a comedy of errors by the home side, who enjoyed a slice of good fortune when Willian hit the post with a 22nd-minute free kick.

Gabriel made it 2-0 with a thumping header after a corner swung in by Willian, who racked up his second assist of the day when he set up Aubameyang for the third in his first game for Arsenal after his summer move from Chelsea.

Willian’s delightful pass from midfield found Aubameyang on the left flank and the striker cut inside to curl a rasping shot from inside the penalty area past Marek Rodak who was left clutching thin air.

Meanwhile, Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha scored his 50th league goal for the club as they beat Southampton 1-0 to secure a home victory at Selhurst Park.

The hosts went ahead against the run of play as Zaha, who had managed only one goal in his last 21 games, met Andros Town­send’s pin-point cross from the right with a side-footed volley past goalkeeper Alex McCarthy in the 13th minute.