A chance to establish a six-point lead will be high on Arsenal’s agenda as they host Europe-chasing Fulham at the Emirates in a crucial Premier League encounter.
A game of big magnitude against Fulham awaits Arsenal at the Emirates on Saturday, and Mikel Arteta will want to establish an important six-point advantage at the top, which could just be temporary in the grand scheme of things. The Gunners managed to end a run of two defeats in the league to secure three points against Newcastle United last weekend, and they will be eager to build on that.
An Eberechi Eze strike from a well-worked Arsenal corner gave the hosts an early lead, but it is the structure of the team and the off-the-ball work that ensured the three points. More importantly, the win allowed the North Londoners to retake the lead in the standings, with a three-point buffer now separating them from rivals Manchester City, who have that game in hand.
By the time Arsenal finish their game against Fulham, Manchester City will have two games in hand when they play Everton in Merseyside. For Arteta, it is a crucial game, and three points are a must, or they risk losing their slim grip on the Premier League title. Moreover, the big task for Arteta and his men is to manage their league and European commitments, following a 1-1 draw away at Atletico Madrid in their Champions League semi-final, and the manager will have one eye on Tuesday’s return leg at the Emirates.
Fulham will make the short trip to the Emirates in the hope of being a disruptive force in Arsenal’s title challenge, as they were a few years back. There are a few itchy records along the way that Marco Silva’s side must break in order to exit north London as the victorious team.
While Fulham are winless in their last three away games, the Cottagers have never won a Premier League away match against the team starting that day at the top of the table. Then the big statistic states that Arsenal have not lost their previous 32 league home games against the Cottagers, the most one team have ever gone without defeat to a single opponent in English football history.
However, this time around, a win is imperative for Silva’s men if they want to sustain their dream of bringing European football to Craven Cottage. At the moment, they are only a point adrift of seventh-placed Bournemouth, who occupy the final continental position, but Fulham are part of a host of teams vying for at least two European spots, making it one of the most exciting races of this kind in years.
Team News & Tactics
Arsenal
Mikel Arteta is expected to enforce the changes as he continues to manage several fitness and fatigue-related issues with his squad. Kai Havertz suffered a muscular problem in the win over Newcastle United and was absent for the midweek trip to Madrid, which might be the case at the weekend, as his immediate status remains unclear.
Jurrien Timber is another concern, as Arteta had stated earlier that he was days away from returning. However, it has been nearly seven weeks since that statement. Recently, the Gunners boss mentioned he was not sure when the Dutchman would return, which could rule him out of the Fulham encounter.
Given Ben White started in midweek, Cristhian Mosquera could deputise at right back against Fulham, while the fit-again Riccardo Calafiori could relieve Piero Hincapie on Saturday. There’s a choice for Arteta to make at the weekend, which could give him the chance to rotate his overworked midfield, meaning he could potentially think about experimenting with Christian Norgaard and Myles Lewis-Skelly in the engine room.
Whether that is what he wants remains to be seen, but there might be changes in selection up front, as Gabriel Jesus might start in place of Viktor Gyokeres. Similarly, Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze and Leandro Trossard could all come into the lineup to refresh the ranks. Alternatively, Arteta could manage his wingers’ minutes and use Noni Madueke instead from the get-go.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Raya; Mosquera, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Eze, Trossard; Jesus
Fulham
Marco Silva has a few selection headaches of his own, and without any other commitment aside from the Premier League, the Portuguese manager will want to field his strongest possible side. However, he may have to make do without his match-winner from last weekend, Ryan Sessegnon.
The left-back sustained a problem that initially raised fears of a serious injury, though those have since been alleviated. He could still miss out against Arsenal. The left-back slot is particularly tricky as Antonee Robinson is also not thought to be particularly fit, but he should be ready to start.
There will be starts for former Gunners stars Bernd Leno and Emile Smith Rowe, but another former Arsenal player, Alex Iwobi, is set to miss out, as his participation for the remainder of the season is in doubt with a thigh issue.
Timothy Castagne will start at right-back, with Joachim Andersen and Calvin Bassey expected to stay central. Sander Berge and Sasa Lukic will maintain their midfield roles, while Raul Jimenez will lead the line instead of Rodrigo Muniz.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Lukic; Wilson, Smith-Rowe, Chukwueze; Jimenez
Key Stats
- Arsenal are undefeated in their last 18 home matches against Fulham in all competitions.
- Arsenal have scored at least two goals in six of their last seven home matches against Fulham in all competitions.
- Fulham have not won away at Arsenal in 32 meetings.
- Fulham have never won a Premier League away game against a team starting as league leaders.
- Fulham are one of two sides, along with Manchester City, yet to concede a goal in the opening 15 minutes of Premier League matches this season. However, the Cottagers have conceded more goals than anyone else in the first 15 minutes after half-time (12), while Arsenal are the most prolific side in this timeframe (14 goals scored).
Player to Watch
Bukayo Saka
Fitness issues have robbed Arsenal of their best attacker during a crucial part of the season, which has had a negative impact, especially in the title race. Without Saka, Arsenal bowed out of the FA Cup and allowed Manchester City to come back into the title race following consecutive defeats.
However, his return off the bench last weekend showed that this Arsenal side are much more vibrant going forward with Saka on the pitch. The midweek cameo against Atletico Madrid did show the English winger needed much more match sharpness, something Mikel Arteta will hope he gets against Fulham before the reverse Champions League semifinal leg on Tuesday.
Prediction
Arsenal 1-0 Fulham
Fulham may have sought out a win against Aston Villa by one goal, and much like their hosts, Marco Silva’s side have faced problems scoring. In fact, they have scored in only two of their last seven games across all competitions, which may become a big issue when they take on the meanest defence in England and Europe.
Arsenal are beginning to put in steady performances again, and despite their ongoing issues in the final third, they have a team capable of securing three points on Saturday. A win is all but necessary as far as Arteta is concerned, and the team will probably get the job done in what could be another narrow scoreline.
