Fulhamvs.Arsenal

Both capital clubs earned two-goal successes in the midweek round of matches, as Mikel Arteta's team defeated Manchester United 2-0 before the Cottagers saw off Brighton & Hove Albion 3-1 to boost their European charge.

Match preview

Hitting Nottingham Forest for three and West Ham United and Sporting Lisbon for five was not a precursor for a similarly ruthless attacking display against Man United, whose rigid defensive structure frustrated Arsenal throughout the first half of their Emirates encounter.

However, Ruben Amorim quickly became the latest in a long line of managers to succumb to Arsenal's set-piece proficiency, as Jurrien Timber's header and William Saliba's unorthodox backside finish from corners propelled the Gunners to the win that their dominance merited.

As celebrated set-piece coach Nicolas Jover laps up the plaudits again, head coach Arteta seeks to mastermind a fifth straight win in all competitions for his resurrected outfit, who have now cut the gap to leaders Liverpool down to seven points thanks to the Reds' slip-up at Newcastle United.

Chelsea putting five past Southampton means that Arsenal have dropped to the bronze medal position in the Premier League table, but the visitors' affinity for all-capital clashes is well-documented, having won seven of their last eight Premier League London derbies.

The demolition of West Ham in their last such battle saw the Gunners score at least five goals for the fifth time in an away game in 2024 - no English club has ever done so in six different road matches in a calendar year - but the less said about their last stopover at Craven Cottage the better.

A result that ended up proving fatal in their pursuit of title glory, Arsenal went down 2-1 to Fulham on New Year's Eve 2023, a few months on from also being held to just the one point at home to Marco Silva's troops, who have since been reinforced by a few erstwhile Emirates men.

One of those Hale End graduates - Alex Iwobi - sparkled under the Thursday night lights when Brighton paid a visit to the capital, registering twice either side of a Matt O'Riley own goal to ensure that Carlos Baleba's effort and acrobatic celebration would count for nought.

By harming Brighton's bid for Europa League or Conference League football, the Cottagers have significantly aided their chances of continental qualification as they reside in sixth place in the standings, just one point below the Seagulls and four adrift of Manchester City in the final Champions League spot.

Terrorising backlines for fun all season long, Fulham have found the back of the net in each of their last 15 matches in all competitions since drawing a blank at Manchester United on the opening day, although they are also still waiting for their first home clean sheet of the campaign.

Much like Arsenal, though, Silva's side have also flexed their muscles in London derbies, going unbeaten in their last eight Premier League games against capital counterparts. Not since 2001 have they enjoyed a longer streak without defeat in such derby matches, but that nine-game sequence was appropriately ended in a 3-1 reverse to Arsenal at Craven Cottage.

Fulham Premier League form:

D

W

W

L

D

W

Arsenal Premier League form:

D

L

D

W

W

W

Arsenal form (all competitions):

L

D

W

W

W

W

Team News

Following their early withdrawals against West Ham last weekend, neither Riccardo Calafiori nor Gabriel Magalhaes were risked for the clash with Man United in midweek, although Arteta is keeping his fingers crossed that the pair will be fit to return here.

Long-term knee victims Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu could therefore be the visitors' only absentees for Sunday's derby, where a couple of changes are not beyond the realm of possibility three days before a Champions League tie with Monaco.

Leandro Trossard and Mikel Merino - back from a knee problem in midweek - head the queue for promotion from the bench, while Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko will make way if Gabriel and Calafiori are given the green light to return.

As for Fulham, on-loan Arsenal winger Reiss Nelson is ineligible to face his parent club, but the 24-year-old suffered a suspected hamstring injury in the win over Brighton anyway and could be set for a spell on the sidelines.

Nelson joins Harrison Reed (knee) and Joachim Andersen (calf) in the Fulham infirmary, while Jorge Cuenca and Ryan Sessegnon will both require late fitness tests but will not come into contention for starting roles regardless.

Tom Cairney - sent off in the draw with Tottenham Hotspur last weekend - is still suspended, but Sasa Lukic is back from his own yellow-card ban to offer an alternative option in the hosts' engine room.

Fulham possible starting lineup:

Leno; Tete, Diop, Bassey, Robinson; Lukic, Berge; Traore, Smith Rowe, Iwobi; Jimenez

Arsenal possible starting lineup:

Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Odegaard, Rice, Merino; Saka, Havertz, Trossard

We say: Fulham 1-3 Arsenal

Each of Fulham's seven Premier League home matches this season has seen both teams score, and that trend ought to continue in this intriguing derby, as Arsenal can still get caught out defensively and are a little short on personnel in that area.

Written by

Ben Knapton

Previews by email