Arsenal vs Fulham – News and Probable Lineups

Arsenal will be looking to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table to six points as they host Fulham at the Emirates for a London derby this Saturday evening.

After drawing 1-1 with Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final, Mikel Arteta’s side returns home, while Fulham managed a narrow 1-0 victory over Aston Villa last weekend, just edging out Arteta’s former team.

Match overview

Unlike Paris Saint-Germain, who were allowed to delay their league fixture between UEFA Champions League quarter-finals against Liverpool to help them progress, Premier League teams do not have that advantage.

This means Arsenal must face Fulham within 72 hours of a fiery draw with Atletico Madrid, during which they were awarded a penalty converted by Viktor Gyokeres, and they also conceded a penalty converted by Julian Alvarez, narrowly avoiding another for a foul supposedly committed by David Hancko on Eberechi Eze.

A “furious” Arteta did not hold back regarding the latter incident, but Arsenal still finds themselves in a strong position ahead of the second leg next week, having matched an all-time club record in Spain.

Turning to local concerns, Arsenal managed to halt a losing streak with a shaky 1-0 victory over Newcastle United last weekend, breaking a sequence of four consecutive defeats across the league, FA Cup, and EFL Cup, while creating a three-point cushion over Manchester City.

If victorious, Arteta’s squad can extend their lead to six points at the Premier League summit, as the Sky Blues won’t play again until Monday against Everton, and their exceptional record of conceding just 11 goals at the Emirates this season is alarming for their struggling visitors.

Just hours before Arsenal secured their tense one-goal win, Fulham ended their own goal drought with a similar home victory over Aston Villa, thanks to a first-half goal from Ryan Sessegnon.

Marco Silva’s team had struggled in their previous matches, losing 2-0 to Liverpool and drawing goalless with Brentford before facing the Villans, but the Cottagers have somewhat returned to form during this taxing scoring period.

Indeed, Fulham have only managed to score in two of their last seven fixtures across all competitions — totaling just four goals during that stretch — leading them to slip to 10th place, albeit only two points behind sixth-placed Brighton & Hove Albion.

There is still a possibility of European qualification for the away side, but whether they could compete in Europe under Silva is uncertain, as he is considered a leading candidate for the vacant Chelsea position.

At the moment, Silva is simply aiming to break Fulham’s three-match winless and goalless streak away from home, while pursuing a first-ever club victory against a team at the top of the table in a Premier League away match.

Unpleasant statistics continue for Fulham supporters, as Arsenal have not lost any of their last 32 home league games against the Cottagers — the longest unbeaten streak in English football history against a single opponent.

Team News

Arsenal’s victory against Newcastle came with some cost, as both Eze and Kai Havertz picked up injuries; Eze recovered quickly to participate on Wednesday, but Havertz missed out and is doubtful for the weekend.

Arteta also mentioned in his pre-Atletico press briefing that Jurrien Timber (groin) is still recovering and not yet fit, while Mikel Merino (foot) continues to work towards a return before the season concludes.

On a positive note, Riccardo Calafiori was a substitute on Wednesday after his recovery from an injury, and he could be included in the starting XI, along with the returning Bukayo Saka and Eze, both of whom played limited roles at the Metropolitano.

For Fulham, Sessegnon’s match-winning run ended prematurely due to injury in the second half, but Silva remains hopeful that the former Tottenham Hotspur player has avoided serious damage.

However, Alex Iwobi will not be facing his boyhood club due to a thigh issue, while Kenny Tete and Kevin are also working back from ankle injuries.

Antonee Robinson is prepared to step in if Sessegnon is unable to play, while Bernd Leno and Emile Smith Rowe are expected to feature at their previous home ground.

Arsenal probable starting XI:

Raya; Mosquera, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Odegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Gyokeres, Ezek

Fulham probable starting XI:

Leno; Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Lukic; Wilson, Smith Rowe, Chukwueze; Jimenez

Historically, playing away against Arsenal has been challenging for Fulham, and given the Cottagers’ struggles in attack, this difficult trend is unlikely to change.

Similar to their match against Newcastle, Arteta’s weary side may only need a moment of brilliance — or a set-piece — to secure the win and prepare optimally for their return clash with Atletico.