Sunday Fulham Stuff - 31/06/23...

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'It's always special' - Hale End graduate Iwobi says he has a point to prove against Arsenal
Africa Cup of Nations-bound Nigeria international Alex Iwobi will put his ties to Arsenal to one side for at least ninety minutes on Sunday afternoon when his current club Fulham do battle with the Gunners at Craven Cottage.

Hale End Academy graduate Iwobi was on the books of Arsenal for fifteen years, rising through the ranks to make his professional debut in a League Cup tie with Sheffield Wednesday in October 2015.

Overall, he made 149 appearances for Arsenal before he was unceremoniously sold to Everton in 2019 for what was then a Nigerian record fee of £35 million.

Since departing the Emirates Stadium for pastures new, Iwobi has played against his boyhood club seven times, winning three, drawing one and losing the others.

Iwobi has insisted that he has a point to prove against Arsenal in what could be his final game before jetting off to the United Arab Emirates to link up with his international teammates at their Africa Cup of Nations training camp.

Speaking to the Fulham Matchday programme for the visit of Arsenal, Iwobi said: "It's always special [playing against Arsenal] and one I'm looking forward to of course. 

"Because we've had a lot of matches recently, I haven't given it much thought until now. It has been the old cliché of taking things a match at a time. 

"I've always felt like I've got a point to prove coming up against Arsenal. As is always the case, I want to play my part and be on the winning side."

Iwobi is in good form heading into the fixture against Arsenal having registered four goal involvements (3 goals, 1 assist) in his last seven matches in the Premier League.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel




https://www.allnigeriasoccer.com/read_news.php?nid=49957

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Which Fulham stars do Arsenal need to watch out for today?
Who's the danger men for Fulham?

Arteta and his Arsenal squad will travel the short trip to Craven Cottage in what is set to be a great London derby to finish off the year. With important points on the line, both clubs will be fighting hard for the win. Fulham currently sit 14th on the table on 21 points and will be looking to climb up the table before the new year. Fulham have lost three of their last five and have lost their last two games on the trot.

Marco Silva is missing Tim Ream and Adam Traore due to injuries and Willian has a big question mark around his name, but Fulham still have plenty of quality to put on the table. Here's who I think Arsenal fans need to keep an eye on this afternoon.

Alex Iwobi is always a threat on Fulham's left wing, with plenty of pace and an eye for goal, he will be looking to put in a solid performance against his old side and will hope his speed catches us off guard. Ben White should be able to stop his rapid attacks but will have to be motivated and concentrated through the entire game as Iwobi can burst into action with no warning. He's scored 3 goals and an assist this season and although recently Fulham haven't been looking at their best, but Iwobi is a game changer and will be up for the game against Arsenal.

Joao Palhinha is another one who's had a bit of a tough season but is a talented midfielder to watch out for because if he's having a good day, he's almost impossible to stop. Palhinha would was sought out in the summer by Bayern Munich only for the deal to fall through last minute, is an explosive midfielder who if you give him the chance, can and will punish you. Odegaard and Rice will need to keep an eye on him and try to shut down his passage forward. He also knows how to find the back of the net himself, scoring two goals and an assist so far this season.

And finally Andreas Pereira, he may not look like much, but the Brazilian midfielder has a lot of talent and pace about him. He's extremely good on corners and set pieces and can whip a ball into anywhere. Recently he hasn't been on top form but like the others, if you give him a chance he will pounce on it. He loves to create chances and finds spaces that a lot of players wouldn't even see. It took him a little while to fully get comfortable to Fulham, but he now seems like he was born to play there. He's scored a goal this season and picked up 4 assists and is one of Fulham's best providers.

It should be a great new years eve London derby and hopefully Arsenal can finish 2023 off with a win.



https://www.justarsenal.com/which-fulham-stars-do-arsenal-need-to-watch-out-for-today/356787

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Former Manchester United man could move to Saudi after 2022 Red Devils exit
Andreas Pereira could leave the Premier League for Saudi Arabia just 18 months after Manchester United accepted a £10 million bid from Fulham.

While the performances of Teden Mengi and James Garner at Luton Town and Everton have led to rather awkward conversations about whether Manchester United were right to let them go, the case is a little more cut and dry when it comes to Andreas Pereira.

Even the most rose-tinted of Fulham supporters would have to accept that there is a bit of a chasm between the 'good Pereira' and the 'bad Pereira'. Even when at his best, the Brazilian tends to rely on set-pieces to boost his chance creation numbers, Pereira all-too-frequently ineffective from open play.

So, with Al-Ahli making their interest known, don't be surprised if Fulham seize the chance to make a considerable profit on a player who arrived at Craven Cottage to the tune of £10 million back in July 2022.

Former Manchester United man could move to Saudi Arabia
According to TNT Sport, Al-Ahli could firm up their interest next month. One of Saudi Arabia's most well-heeled clubs – and that's saying something – Pereira would join a host of former Premier League expats at the King Abdulla Sports City Stadium.

Roberto Firmino, Allan Saint-Maximin, Riyad Mahrez and Edouard Mendy are already plying their trade with Al-Ahli. Ditto former Roma defender Roger Ibanez, ex-Celta Vigo talisman Gabri Veiga and Franck Kessi, once of Barcelona, Atalanta and AC Milan.

The Belgium-born Pereira, capped once by Brazil, spent eight years as a Manchester United player between 2014 and 2022. While spending much of that time out on loan, he was briefly a regular in the heart of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Red Devils midfield.

Ole Solskjaer was a fan
"He's gone through the academy. We know what he's capable of," Solskjaer told the Manchester Evening News back in 2019. He's got loads of energy and drive. Maybe we found a better position for him than as a number six. (Pereira) is more of an eight or a ten going forward.

"He's got high energy. He's got quality in his passing, crossing and shooting."




https://www.unitedinfocus.com/transfer-news/former-manchester-united-man-could-move-to-saudi-after-2022-red-devils-exit/

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Bayern Munich yet to make another move for Joao Palhinha
Fulham head coach Marco Silva has confirmed that there has been no new approach from Bayern Munich for Joao Palhinha ahead of the winter transfer window.

The winter transfer window is set to open on Monday. Bayern Munich are looking to bolster the squad after Kim Min-jae and Noussair Mazraoui were called up for South Korea and Morocco, respectively. Both players will be away with their national teams for four to five weeks.

Adding a versatile defender to the squad is the priority for Bayern in January. They want a defender who can play in central defense and right-back positions. Thomas Tuchel is hopeful about adding two players to the squad during the winter transfer window.

The ideal second signing in January for Tuchel will be a defensive midfielder. The German coach wants a robust defensive midfielder who can offer balance to the team on the pitch. He publicly pushed for a number six in the summer.

Bayern decided to move for a number six in the final week of the window when it was clear that Ryan Gravenberch was leaving Munich. The Dutch midfielder joined Liverpool on the deadline day, while Bayern pursued a deal for Fulham's Joao Palhinha. Despite agreeing a fee for Palhinha, the move collapsed at the last moment due to Fulham's failure to get a replacement for him.

Palhinha was gutted after the transfer fell through since he had completed all formalities at Sabner Strasse. Die Roten have been linked with the Portuguese midfielder in the past couple of months. However, Fulham head coach Marco Silva told media (via The Athletic) this week that there have been no approaches for Palhinha for a winter transfer.

   

""I've spoken with the board about it. I can say we have not received anything, no approaches. We have full focus on the games.""
    - Fulham head coach Marco Silva

Bayern had agreed a fee close to €65 million for Palhinha in the summer. Bild has recently reported that Die Roten want to pay significantly less than what they had agreed in the summer. A winter move to Munich is looking unlikely for the Portuguese midfielder.

Fulham will not budge over the transfer fee. The London-based club managed to extend Palhinha's contract with a higher wage after the move to Munich collapsed in the summer. The Portuguese midfielder will have to push for a transfer if Bayern once again show interest in him.

After the summer transfer window, Bayern have been linked with other midfielders. Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi is a target for the summer. Moreover, the emergence of Aleksandar Pavlovic during Hinrunde gives Tuchel more options in the holding midfield role. The Bavarian club may decide to postpone the move for a defensive midfielder until summer.



https://bayernstrikes.com/posts/bayern-munich-yet-to-make-another-move-for-joao-palhinha

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The three decisions Arteta must make to ensure a win at Fulham
In the last two Premier League games, Arsenal have dropped the same number of points (5), which cost them the league title last season. This is shocking for a team keen to win the league.

That said, the Gooners will be feeling confident for their team to end the year in style by beating Fulham, and here are three decisions Mikel Arteta must make to make sure Arsenal picks up a win this Sunday.

He Must Drop Oleksander Zinchenko For Jakub Kiwior

It is unfortunate that Takehiro Tomiyasu is injured, but Kiwior can also play at left back. Zinchenko has off late been a liability at Arsenal left back, and a team like Fulham, who are not in their best moment, may want to exploit the Arsenal wing back. Defensively, Kiwior may be better than the ex-Manchester City man. I don't know about you, but Zinchenko for Kiwior makes a lot of sense to me. Arsenal are now so much less reliant on the Ukrainian international's "inversion dominance."

Bench Martinelli

If Martinelli starts versus Fulham, many will be shocked. The Brazilian just hasn't been himself lately. He needs to be benched and probably introduced to face tired legs later. With time, he may rediscover his form and return to the starting 11, but versus Fulham, he can't start. The Arsenal left wing has looked "dead" in recent weeks; changing the personnel could be the difference.

Giving Emile Smith Rowe or Reiss Nelson a chance on the left wing

These two Hale End graduates are both desperate to break into the team. With Martinelli underperforming, what a chance Arteta has to drop the Arsenal No. 11, and give either Reiss Nelson or Smith Rowe a chance. If there was a time one of the two broke into Arsenal's starting lineup, it is now.

These three decisions could change Arsenal's fortunes in their last game of 2023; they could be their ticket to picking up all three points, don't you think so?



https://www.justarsenal.com/the-three-decisions-arteta-must-make-to-ensure-a-win-at-fulham/356789

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Willian wishes he never left Chelsea for Arsenal
Former Arsenal man and current Fulham winger, Willian, admitted he wishes he never left Chelsea for Arsenal.

After running down his contract with Chelsea, Willian decided to move across London and sign for Arsenal in the summer of 2020.

The winger made a strong debut for the Gunners against Fulham, setting up a few goals, but things went downhill from there, and he only scored one goal in his 37 appearances that season.

The only positive of Willian's spell at Arsenal was that everyone quickly agreed it wasn't working out and cancelled his contract without dragging things out.

But despite now playing for Chelsea's local rivals, Fulham, Willian says he wishes he never left Stamford Bridge.
Latest Arsenal injury updates and news

"Yeah," Willian said last season. "I wish I'd never left. Of course, it's easy to say now, but when I stop to think about all the situations, yeah, I say to myself 'I wish I'd never left'.

"But it's life, I'm happy now. I'm at Fulham, enjoying myself there."

As for why things didn't work out for him at Arsenal, Willian couldn't put his finger on the reason.

"[Arsenal] are flying now," Willian admitted. "I don't know (why it didn't work), they were in the middle of changing a lot. I was excited when I signed with them, and I was training hard, but it just doesn't work and that's it."

The 34-year-old certainly seems to have his career back on track now with Fulham, Arsenal fans will hope he doesn't pick Sunday to finally score his first goal against the Gunners.

Willian has faced Arsenal more times than any other side and has yet to find the back of the net against them.

At the time of writing, a few hours before kick-off, Willian is a doubt for the game with a hamstring problem.

This season, Willian has four goals and one assists in 17 games.




https://dailycannon.com/2023/12/willian-chelsea-arsenal/