Comment on Fulham vs Arsenal:
A bitter 0-2 defeat at Emirates home field in round 19 caused Arsenal to lose the top spot in the table and the unofficial title of “first leg champion” to Liverpool. In round 20, in the matches that took place, Aston Villa and Man City both won to push Arsenal down to 4th.
Despite falling quite quickly, in reality, Arsenal can temporarily return to the top of the table right after the match with Fulham (because Liverpool leads the table but will play late in the morning of January 2, 2024). Arsenal currently has 40 points, only 2 points behind Liverpool, Aston Villa and behind Man City in terms of goal difference – loss. The task set for coach Mikel Arteta and his team is to win, to accumulate points and restore confidence in the fierce championship race.
Arsenal needs a win against Fulham to temporarily regain the top spot in the table. Photo: Reuters
Fulham has home field advantage but their performance is declining at an alarming rate. In the last 3 matches, Fulham lost all, conceding 10 goals and not scoring any goals. Facing such an opponent, Arsenal has every chance to take the 3 points that are considered a must for them.
Recent home field results can be a fulcrum for Fulham. In the last 4 matches, they won 13 matches and scored 13 goals. But if compared in terms of statistics, Arsenal is not afraid of Fulham as they have won all 5 recent confrontations at Craten Cottage, scoring 15 goals and conceding only 2 goals.
In terms of strength, Fulham’s biggest loss is Willian’s absence due to injury. However, striker Raul Jimenez’s suspension has expired, and Traore and Ream can also play.
On the Arsenal side, coach Arteta has the return of Kai Havertz after suspension. Meanwhile, former sick soldiers such as Takehiro Tomiyasu, Fabio Vieira, Thomas Partey and Jurrien Timber have not yet been able to return. Although they do not have the optimal force, Arsenal still has many stars who can create breakthroughs in attack and they are capable of defeating Fulham in the upcoming match.
Arsenal is rated higher than Fulham even though they have to play away from home. Photo: Sporting News
Expected lineup Fulham vs Arsenal:
Fulham (4-2-3-1): Leno; Robinson, Bassey, Adarabioyo, Castagne; Cairney, Palhinha; Iwobi, Pereira, Cordova-Reid; Jimenez
Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya; White, Gabriel, Saliba, Zinchenko; Rice, Odegaard, Havertz; Saka, Martinelli, Jesus
Forecast: Arsenal won 2-0.