Fulham vs. Arsenal
Venue: Craven Cottage
Kick off: 12PM
Arsenal travel to Craven Cottage this afternoon bidding to make it nine wins in a row across all competitions under new manager Unai Emery.
The Gunners have recovered from a poor start under the Spaniard and now sit fifth in the Premier League table, whereas Fulham are just one place above the relegation zone.
Fulham have shown plenty of attacking potential – led by the five-goal Aleksandar Mitrovic and ably supported by the likes of Luciano Vietto, Andre Schurrle and Ryan Sessegnon – but defensively they have so far struggled on their return to the top flight.
Indeed, no team has conceded more than the 16 shipped by Fulham in seven games this season, including three more last weekend when they were swept aside by Everton at Goodison Park. Brighton & Hove Albion’s win over West Ham United on Friday night means that Fulham are now the only team yet to keep a clean sheet in the Premier League this season.
Eleven of those goals have been conceded away from home, though, and four of the five points accrued by Slavisa Jokanovic’s side this season have come at Craven Cottage – where they have lost just one of their last six Premier League outings stretching back to their last spell in the division.
Fulham do have a poor record in London derbies, though – indeed, the worst in Premier League history, having won just 25 of their 120 such matches, whereas Arsenal have the best win ratio with 123 victories from 240 capital derbies.
Should the Cottagers fall to another defeat this afternoon then they would equal their worst ever start to a top-flight campaign – most recently set in 2005 – but victory would be their 300th in the top flight and would send out a statement that they are capable of mixing it with the big boys.
Fulham possible XI: Bettinelli, Christie, Mawson, Ream, Le Marchand, Vietto, Cairney, Seri, Sessegnon, Schurrle, Mitrovic.
Arsenal possible XI: Leno, Bellerin, Mustafi, Sokratis, Monreal, Torreira, Xhaka, Mkhitaryan, Ozil, Aubameyang, Lacazette.
Follow The Eagle Online Channel on WhatsApp
