LONDON -- The expectation on Bukayo Saka to revive Arsenal's season has grown with each passing week and against Fulham, it took him just seven minutes to begin answering the call.

Tuesday night's 2-1 win over Fulham showcased the before and after. In what has become customary during the absences of Saka, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus and others, the Gunners labored for long periods against a Fulham side requiring five changes to freshen up weary legs following an FA Cup quarterfinal defeat to Crystal Palace. Their only breakthrough came via a deflected first-half strike from makeshift forward Mikel Merino.

There was a palpable sense of drift inside Emirates Stadium. Only the headstrong dreamers still cling to the belief Liverpool can be caught in the Premier League title race, and the rest cast a lingering eye towards a UEFA Champions League quarterfinal clash with Real Madrid, which begins next week.

They need reinvigorating in attack and an injection of self-belief after a chastening period which exposed shortcomings in Arsenal's squad set to be addressed this summer by new sporting director Andrea Berta, watching on here from the director's box flanked by managing director Richard Garlick and executive vice chairman Tim Lewis.

Until then, the responsibility rests on Saka's shoulders. And this was a fine way to start, introduced to raucous applause on 66 minutes and finding the net with his fifth touch after a 100-day absence following hamstring surgery.

"He lifted the stadium, the energy and [it is] great to have him back," said Gunners boss Mikel Arteta.

The finish was a simple one, stooping to meet a sublime Gabriel Martinelli flick at the far post, but the impact felt greater. Arsenal have lacked a cutting edge, and here it was, with Rodrigo Muniz's stoppage-time reply for Fulham ensuring Saka's intervention was the match-winning moment.

The contrast between the team's profligacy before the international break compared with Saka scoring through his only shot of the night is marked. He celebrated with Sam Wilson, the club's lead physical performance coach, who has overseen his rehabilitation.

"We all love this kind of recognition and gestures because it goes beyond the professional side of it and there is a connection there that is so necessary and to be able to appreciate as well the amount of work and stress as well and responsibility that they have to go through," said Arteta.

"There are probably a lot of times where it's just those two alone at the training ground together when maybe he's getting back on the grass and kind of getting back closer to fitness."

Saka's career is littered with statistical milestones, and here was another: the 23-year-old has now scored and assisted 10 or more goals across all competitions in each of the last three seasons. He is the first Arsenal player to do so since Alexis Sánchez between 2014 and 2017.

And yet, with Madrid in mind, Arsenal's display prompted a debate over what could have a bigger impact on Arsenal's fate: Saka's return or any lengthy absence for Gabriel Magalhães?

The Brazilian's center-back partnership with William Saliba is the bedrock of this Arsenal side, and the sight of him limping off with a hamstring problem early in the first half felt decidedly destabilising.

One second half moment summed up the concern. Jakub Kiwior -- Gabriel's replacement -- was slow on the uptake, and Adama Traoré nipped in ahead of him, bursting forward only to ignore a square pass to the unmarked Raúl Jiménez and fire a shot so wayward it went out for a throw-in.

Vinícius Júnior, Kylian Mbappé or Rodrygo are unlikely to be so wasteful. Muniz also missed from inside the six-yard box after good work from fellow substitute Alex Iwobi before he squeezed a shot past Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya via a deflection off Saliba.

Injuries have been a persistent theme this season, so much so that a manager notorious for his meticulous planning has found it difficult to strategize from one week to the next.

"You're scratching your head," he said. "I know in the next few games, [it will be] the same.

"But at the same time, it's been a great learning experience for us and all the coaches and staff to manage that situation. At the end, the players are going to react to how we react to it.

"If you start to feel sorry for yourself and say, 'Ah, it's impossible, how are we going to do this?', it will be impossible, but these boys, they don't give you the reason to act like that."

Saka may need to add even more potency to Arsenal's attack to offset a weaker Arsenal defense if Gabriel misses out against Real. Jurriën Timber was also substituted 13 minutes from the end with a knee problem, the same area of the body affecting two more defenders, Riccardo Calafiori and Ben White.

Martinelli had one of his more industrious evenings and was unfortunate not to add a goal of his own -- a late effort ruled out correctly for offside -- but it was Saka's reemergence that offers the biggest hope that Arsenal can still end this season on a high.