Sunday Fulham Stuff - 08/12/24...

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Gabriel Jesus starts, Gabriel Magalhaes decision made, Arsenal predicted XI vs Fulham
football.london takes a look at how Mikel Arteta could line his Gunners side up for their Premier League clash at Craven Cottage

Arsenal may have gained ground on Liverpool in the title race, but Mikel Arteta is in no mood to rest on his laurels. "We want to have the right to win the games," the Spaniard said in his post-match press conference after Wednesday's 2-0 win over Manchester United. "If we perform the way we're performing right now, we're going to win a lot of games. But right now is about Fulham.

"We have to go there. We know the experience of last season. We have to prepare really well to earn the right to win there and continue to do that. The rest, we don't know."

The Gunners dropped five points against Fulham last season that Arteta admits were crucial in the title race. "Unfortunately it's not that easy," he said when asked about gaining those points back this season. "There can be things like if you've not been at your best, if the opposition plays well and it can be other factors. This season that has already happened.

"We have to learn from it and make sure that you are better equipped and prepared for the next one when you have the chance to do it."

It's crucial that the Spaniard gets his team selection spot on therefore. Here's who football.london are expecting him to pick.

Goalkeeper - David Raya
He may not have been busy on Wednesday night but David Raya still pulled out a stunning save. He'll want to grab another clean sheet at Craven Cottage.

Right back - Jurrien Timber
Fresh off scoring his first Arsenal goal, Jurrien Timber's confidence will be sky high. He'll be needed to quieten Fulham's free-flowing attack.

Centre back - William Saliba
The undisputed man of the match on Wednesday, Saliba has history at Craven Cottage. It's where he suffered his season-ending back injury a couple of years ago. He'll be keen to exorcise some demons.

Centre back - Jakub Kiwior
Gabriel wasn't in full training on Friday which makes you wonder if Arsenal will be willing to take a risk on the Brazilian. Jakub Kiwior has proved himself an able deputy.

Left back - Oleksandr Zinchenko
Calafiori also wasn't present in training on Friday despite doing some individual work indoors. Oleksandr Zinchenko could be called upon once again.

Defensive midfield - Thomas Partey
Thomas Partey could have had two goals as he stepped up to become the main set piece focal point against United. Can he grab one at Fulham?

Central midfield - Declan Rice
Rice's superb corner deliveries have been an essential part of Arsenal's superb run at set pieces. He'll be looking to add a few more assists to his tally in west London.

Central midfield - Martin Odegaard
Odegaard had a quieter night against Manchester United. He has still been transformative on Arsenal's title ambitions and will hope to be back to his best at Fulham.

Right wing - Bukayo Saka
Another assist from a corner on Wednesday night for Saka. Could he grab yet another on Sunday?

Centre forward - Gabriel Jesus
With a huge Champions League game coming up in midweek, Arteta may be inclined to do some rotating where he can. Gabriel Jesus in for Kai Havertz feels like a decent possibility.

Left wing - Leandro Trossard
On the tight pitch at Craven Cottage this feels like more of a Leandro Trossard game than a Gabriel Martinelli one. On form the Belgian deserves the nod too.




https://www.football.london/arsenal-fc/fixtures-results/gallery/gabriel-jesus-starts-gabriel-magalhaes-30536599

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Fulham vs Arsenal Premier League score predicted as tense clash unfolds
Arsenal visit Craven Cottage on Sunday afternoon in the Premier League, so we used EA FC 25 to simulate the game and get a score prediction


Arsenal's predicted XI vs Fulham (Image: EA Sports)

Arsenal will be looking to keep up their winning form of late when they take on London rivals Fulham in the Premier League.

After a rocky patch in November, Arsenal have looked back to their best in recent weeks, with a 2-0 win over Manchester United in their last Premier League outing making it four wins in a row across all competitions for Mikel Arteta's side. Next up for the Gunners is a fifth league game in a row in London, with Arsenal travelling west to take on Fulham.

Fulham proved to be one of the Gunners' bogey teams last season, with Arteta's side drawing at home and losing away to Marco Silva's side. Gabriel missed out against United through injury, but the defender is set to return this weekend for the clash at Craven Cottage.

So, can Arsenal make it four Premier League wins in a row this weekend? Let's take a look.

We simulated Fulham vs Arsenal to get a score prediction
To complete this simulation, we used EA FC 25 and updated the squads with the latest injuries and suspensions.

We predict that the hosts could line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with their starting XI as follows: Leno; Tete, Diop, Bassey, Robinson; Pereira, Berge; Wilson, Smith Rowe, Iwobi; Muniz.

 We predict that Arsenal could set up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their line-up as follows: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Partey, Rice, Odegaard; Saka, Havertz, Trossard.

Arsenal were quick out the gates in west London, with the Gunners camping around the hosts' box in the opening stages as they searched for a breakthrough. Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice both tested Bernd Leno in the first few minutes, but it only took three attempts in total before Arteta's side broke the deadlock.

Saka and Martin Odegaard exchanged passes on the right as they patiently waited for an opportunity to pounce, and a fantastic through ball from the latter picked out the run of Kai Havertz who darted into a gap in the Fulham defence. On the turn, the German put the ball onto his left foot before taking aim, finding the top corner with a powerful strike to make it 1-0.

After going ahead, Arsenal seemed to switch off and allow the Cottagers more of the ball, and Arteta's side were made to pay when Emile Smith Rowe's shot was deflected into the path of Rodrigo Muniz, with the striker tapping in from close range to level the score before the break. Just like the first half, the Gunners started on top, and they once again took advantage of their early dominance, grabbing a second of the game thanks to a wonder strike.

Saka did well to beat his man on the right before surging into the box, but a lack of options saw the winger lay the ball off to Thomas Partey instead. The ball rolled perfectly into the midfielder's path, and his first-time strike was swept into the far corner, beating Leno at full stretch as Arsenal restored their lead.

Gabriel Martinelli had the ball in the net with four minutes to go before the offside flag was raised, but it didn't matter, with Arsenal holding out for another win in the Premier League.

EA FC 25 predicted final score: Fulham 1-2 Arsenal



https://www.football.london/arsenal-fc/news/fulham-vs-arsenal-premier-league-30533352

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Fulham vs Arsenal: Confirmed team news, predicted lineup and injuries
Arsenal take on Fulham at Craven Cottage this afternoon as they look to keep pace with Liverpool a the top of the Premier League.

The Gunners' devastating set piece routines did job on Manchester United on Wednesday, moving to within seven points of the summit with Liverpool dropping points away to Newcastle United.

Mikel Arteta was without both Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori midweek with Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko replacing them.

Arteta would have hoped to have his towering defenders back for the short trip across the capital but neither Gabriel or Calafiori were spotted in training on Friday afternoon.

As ever, the Arsenal boss was giving nothing away when quizzed on their fitness in his pre-match press conference.

Both players will be assessed after a final training session on Saturday.

Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu remain unavailable but the rest of the Gunners squad is in good shape as the busy festive period begins to kick into gear.

Thomas Partey and Mikel Merino missed last weekend's victory over West Ham with the Ghana international playing the full 90 minutes against United.

Merino meanwhile came onto replace Zinchenko for the final 20 minutes.


Saka is regularly in red-hot form against other London sides (Squawka)

Arsenal could have one eye on next week's Champions League clash with Monaco at the Emirates.

Both sides are level on 10 points with the top eight securing automatic qualification for the knockout stages of the competition.



Predicted Arsenal XI to face Fulham
Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Odegaard, Partey, Rice, Saka, Havertz, Martinelli

Where to watch Fulham vs Arsenal? Kick off time and TV channel
Fulham vs Arsenal kicks off at 2pm on Sunday 8 December.

The match will be available to watch live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event. Subscribers can also live stream the match on Sky Go and NOW TV.



https://metro.co.uk/2024/12/08/arsenal-fulham-live-latest-score-confirmed-team-news-predicted-lineup-22138662/?ito=newsnow-feed

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Zero margin for error for Arsenal at Craven Cottage today
I said it in the aftermath of Friday's press conferences, that Fulham feels a little more difficult than when we looked at this run of games pre-international break, but I feel it even more this morning:

This is going to be hard today.

Fulham are decent at home. Four wins, one draw and two defeats to Villa and that weird one against Wolves. It was weird because Wolves scored four goals from five shots on target, had way less possession, way less attempts on goal, their xG for four goals was as low as 1.3 which tells me they wonder-struck their way to a bit of an outlier result.

At Home Fulham aren't the best in terms of their xG creation and they sit 11th in the table on home form xG, although the goals they allow is a little better – they're seventh lowest in the league. They're averaging almost two a game on their own patch, but they do give up chances and have conceded 12 at home. I watched some of the highlights from the Brighton game and Brighton will probably feel like they should have done a bit better than the score line suggests. The first goal the Seagulls conceded was basically a gift of a pass from their own 'keeper, for which Iwobi duly obliged, so as long as we avoid silly advantages like that, you'd hope we should have enough firepower to create chances. We've conceded eight away so far this season but when you think that we've played Villa, Chelsea, City (in which we were down to ten men), an in form Bournemouth (in which we were down to ten men), plus that weird game last weekend against West Ham, it does feel like if we have our first choice back line in there from the start, we can hopefully keep Fulham a little quiet. That means we have to see Big Gabi and Calafiori back and whilst Arteta wouldn't be drawn on Friday about their availability, as I said yesterday I think at least one will be back. I suspect that might be Big Gabi, but hopefully Calafiori is back too because as decent as Zinchenko was, at home and against a United team who offered little threat going forward for most of the game, it feels a little different than today. That's because whoever plays left back will probably be up against Iwobi on that right hand side and having bagged two on Thursday night and five so far this season, he's going to be going in to this feeling pretty confident.

Marco Silva actually deployed him centrally against Brighton but broadly speaking he's played wide right and I think that's where he'll be today. They'll line up with Bassey and Diop as their centre halves, Robinson (who I've always been impressed with when I see him) and Castagne on their right hand side. And that's where I think we need to see some joy. Saka against Robinson doesn't always result in Bukayo coming out on top, but whoever plays wide left I'd fancy against Catstagne. I'd still go with Martinelli despite the fact it didn't quite click for him on Wednesday, but if Trossard comes in then I'd be fine with that too. He had a bit of an off patch pre the international break, but I thought he was great against West Ham and then looked bright when coming off the bench against United.

You could argue that the rest of the team picks itself (Raya, Timber, Saliba, Rice, Odegaard, Havertz), but there might be a question in Mikel's mind about who plays in that midfield. Fulham are a side who the stats suggest don't launch it from Leno, but they do go long – they're second behind Everton for long passes attempted over 30 yards, so that says to me they build from their defence and they look to get the ball long through willing runners – probably in to wide positions. Would having a Merino to press higher and try to win the pitch work better than having Rice in the left eight, so you drop Rice back in to the six? Fulham are also a side who sit third behind West Ham and Liverpool for having shots that have come from a defensive action by their own team. So in other words they create a far bit of their opportunities from defending, then moving the ball quickly – through longer passes – that lead to shots for them. It makes me wonder whether Arteta might opt for Partey and Rice as two players who will cover ground and breakdown those chances.

What we do need to see today is Arsenal showing intent and also having last season's New Year's Eve debacle not being repeated. We can't have Arsenal looking like they've eaten too much of the left over Christmas pudding like last year. We have to control possession, we have to take chances, we need to build on chances if we do manage to go ahead. We went ahead on five minutes and it felt like it was going to be a nice way to round off the year, but we got sloppy and Fulham punished us with a quick transition and goal from Jimenez, then a pretty poor corner that we just didn't deal with secured them the points. It was one of those games in which Nketiah started up front and basically didn't do anything and I thought Rice had a poor one too. You'd hope that today it will be different with Havertz up top and one of Partey or Merino joining Rice and Odegaard in midfield and that extra bit of quality will – fingers crossed – prove that we can be better.

And we need to be. Margin for error is zero, we can't afford to be dropping any points at all on this run and this need to be an Arsenal performance that builds on our last four games since the international break – all of which have been wins.

Let's hope today is win number five.

Catch you all tomorrow for a debrief.



https://www.suburbangooners.com/2024/12/08/zero-margin-for-error-for-arsenal-at-craven-cottage-today/

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Silva: 'Arsenal are in a great moment'
Fulham head coach Marco Silva has insisted that the fact that the Whites took four points off Arsenal last season will make this weekend's victory with the Gunners a far tougher proposition.

The Portuguese boss told his pre-match press conference ahead of the forthcoming London derby:

"No-one surprises anyone in Premier League no more. You know how Mikel [Arteta] and the Arsenal team respect everybody in this competition, they know that it's really tough to play and win games at this level. And probably they are going to be even more aware because the reality is we played two great games against them last season – at the Emirates with the draw, and of course with the three points at Craven Cottage.

"But I really believe that it's going to be even more difficult. Firstly, because with the game last night, it's going to be [a] really short [turnaround], and because they are in a great moment, definitely. And they are going to be more aware, probably, about our strengths, and it's going to be tougher for us. But we like this type of challenge. We like to challenge ourselves, and we have to embrace it, and to go with full confidence that we can repeat the same [as last season]."

Silva knows that nullifying Arsenal's strength from set pieces would go a long way to helping Fulham get a result against the title chasers.

"Last season, we did really well in that situation, we scored twice against them in set-pieces last season, and the reality is that they didn't score [from a set-piece] against us, and let's hope we can repeat the same."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2024/12/silva-arsenal-are-in-a-great-moment/

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Up next: Arsenal (h)
Much of the build-up to this afternoon's London derby has focused on a host of Fulham players who might have a point to prove against Arsenal in front of the television cameras at Craven Cottage. Where the Whites might have recruited very well over the last couple of years as they seek to break into the top half of the Premier League, Marco Silva's focus will be more on building on the momentum generated by a creditable point at Tottenham followed by an excellent win over an impressive Brighton and Hove Albion as they attempt to repeat last season's home success against Mikel Arteta's title chasers.

Both sides will want to build on strong midweek results. Whilst Fulham, inspired by a terrific double from Alex Iwobi, overcome Brighton, Arsenal produced a workmanlike performance to see off Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium. Whereas the Gunners had been scoring goals for fun against Nottingham Forest and Sporting Lisbon, Arteta's side had to patient against Reuben Almiron's side – with United eventually becoming the latest side to succumb to Arsenal's set-piece supremacy. That element of Arsenal's excellence – with the Gunners having found the net 22 times from corners alone this season – will be a stern test of Fulham's defensive resolution today, especially as Silva' side have looked vulnerable from set-plays all season and are still wating for a home clean sheet this term.

It isn't as if the Gunners aren't a real threat from open play with their sparkling football being one of the highlights since Arteta took over from another underappreciated manager in the shape of Unai Emery. Shackling Arsenal's creative hubs, such as the tremendously talented and influential Norwegian Martin Oodegard, the energetic Gabriel Martinelli and the enduring excellence of Bukayo Saka, who has mustered seven goals and seven assists in his past fourteen London derbies, will be crucial – although there has to be an acknowledgement that keeping a side such as Arsenal quiet throughout the ninety minutes is probably impossible.

Arteta will hand late fitness tests to defenders Gabriel and Riccardo Calafiori, who missed the midweek success against Manchester United. Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu are nursing longer-term injuries and won't be making the trip to Craven Cottage. Arsenal have cut the gap to Liverpool to seven points and will be desperate to try and reduce that gap at the top of the table even further after the Merseyside derby was postponed due to the dangerous weather conditions yesterday.

Silva's selection headaches continue after Reiss Nelson injured his hamstring just seconds before he was due to be substituted against Brighton on Thursday night. The winger would have been ineligible to face his parent club today in any case and, whilst Serbian international Sasa Lukic returns from suspension to give the Whites another option in midfield, skipper Tom Cairney serves the second game of his three-match ban and Joachim Andersen and Harrison Reed are still sidelined by injury.

You would expect the likes of Kenny Tete and Raul Jimenez, who were rested on Thursday, to be recalled to the starting line-up this afternoon, whilst the pace and power of Adama Traore, who has been a substitute of late, seems made for frightening an impressive Arsenal rearguard.

MY FULHAM XI (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, A. Robinson, Diop, Bassey; Berge, Lukic; Traore, Iwobi, Smith Rowe; Jimenez. Subs: Benda, Castagne, R. Sessegnon, Cuenca, King, Pereira, Wilson, Muniz, Vinicius.




https://hammyend.com/index.php/2024/12/up-next-arsenal-h-4/

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Brentford Gear Up For Historic FA Cup Tie Against Fulham
Karleigh Osborne's Brentford Women are set to take on local rivals, Fulham Women, for the first time in a competitive setting in the third round of the Adobe Women's FA Cup.

Osborne and Brentford have had a cup run to remember, having scored a whopping 37 goals in only five matches. This included emphatic victories such as an 18-1 win away at North Leigh and a 12-1 home win against Tilehurst Panthers.

However the matchups have started getting closer, as in the previous round, Brentford edged past late against London Seaward with a 1-0 win, thanks to a 85th minute winner from forward Nikki Woods.

Regardless, this has been 'The Bees' best performance thus far in the FA Cup, and Osborne is excited for the upcoming tie, stating "These are the type of games you want to be involved in these are the type of games we've been trying to prepare our players (for) over a number of years".

A cinematic clash
Brentford and Fulham historically hold a long local rivalry, and Osborne understands the importance of this match stating "there'll be a lots of fans there, (adding) a little bit more fire to the fixture".

He complimented Fulham stating "they're a really good team, it'll be a tough challenge but I believe if we perform at the levels that we can, we'll give ourselves a really good chance of getting result".

Fulham currently are a division above Brentford, playing in the premier division of the London and South East Women's Regional Football League, where they remain unbeaten in seven games.

Osborne understood the challenge up ahead, and has been preparing accordingly claiming "there are chinks in their armour I think we can exploit". He has used his experience and "research" of watching Fulham play over the years and said he will do his "best" to prepare his players and "put Fulham on the back foot".

"No different from a normal matchday"
In terms of preparation, Osborne is hopeful the atmosphere in the dressing room will be "relaxed" before the derby. He stated "naturally players want to win, we're a team that wants to win games no matter who we're playing against".

He aims to maintain a "calm and focused" and "positive energy" in the dressing room that eventually can translate to their performance on the pitch.

A victory for Brentford against Fulham will see them qualify for the fourth round of the FA Cup for the first time ever, and Osborne expressed his "excitement" in the possibility of playing a WSL club in the next round, which he feels would be "an amazing thing for his players".

Kick-off is at 3 pm on Sunday, December 8, at Bedfont Sports Club.



https://sportsgazette.co.uk/brentford-gear-up-for-historic-fa-cup-tie-against-fulham/

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Smith Rowe: Arsenal 'is a massive game'
Fulham midfielder Emile Smith Rowe admits that the reunion with his boyhood club Arsenal was the first fixture he looked for after signing for the Whites this summer.

The England international has swept any sentiment aside and told the national press that he is fully focused on making sure that Marco Silva's side take all three points at Craven Cottage on Sunday afternoon.

"It's a massive game for me personally. At the start of the season, in my head I've always been thinking about playing against my former team. It's going to be an exciting game. I think it's going to be a bit weird, knowing the players for so long, and having been there for a lot of my life, so it probably is going to be a bit of an emotional day. But I have to make sure I do the job for Fulham."

Smith Rowe highlighted England winger Bukayo Saka as someone he is looking forward to catching up with this weekend.

"Great person. We've been so close for such a long time. He was one of my closest friends at Arsenal when I was there, so I can't really speak highly enough of him. Unbelievable professional, does all the right things to stay fit and perform at the highest level. He's kind of like a little brother, so I'm really proud of him."

The midfielder also discussed the similarities between Mikel Arteta and Silva.

"I'd probably say they're both very demanding. They're very tactical and they know what they want every game. It's very clear to the players how they want to play, so I'd say they're probably quite similar in that aspect. But they're different as well. How they play is different, so there are similarities, but also differences as well."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2024/12/smith-rowe-arsenal-is-a-massive-game/

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Arsenal out to achieve English football history after equalling 87-year-old Man City record
 Arsenal could achieve a feat never achieved by an English top-flight team before when they pit their wits against Fulham in Sunday's Premier League derby.

Thanks to Liverpool and Everton's Merseyside derby on Saturday being postponed as a consequence of Storm Darragh, the Gunners could move to within four points of the Premier League leaders at Craven Cottage.

Mikel Arteta's men lost their way before the November international break, but akin to the early phase of 2024, they have since revived their season with numerous goal-laden performances.

West Ham United, Nottingham Forest and Sporting Lisbon have all lost to the Gunners by three or more goals over the past few weeks, and Arteta's team were barely troubled in their 2-0 win over Manchester United in midweek.

Arsenal failed to win either meeting with Fulham last year - putting in their "worst performance" of the 2023-24 season in their 2-1 loss at Craven Cottage on New Year's Eve - but smashing Marco Silva's men could cement their place in history.

Arsenal out to score five+ goals for sixth time in 2024
Should the Gunners manage to score five times against Fulham on Sunday, they will become the first-ever English top-flight team to net at least five goals in six away matches in a calendar year.

Arteta's men became just the third team to net five goals in five different road matches in their thrashing of West Ham, emulating the Manchester City team of 1937 and the Sunderland outfit of 1892.

That 5-2 beating marked the second time this year that Arsenal have hit West Ham for five or more at the London Stadium, having also pummelled the Irons 6-0 last season for their biggest Premier League away win to date.

The Gunners have also scored a quintet of goals on Sporting, Sheffield United and Burnley's turf since the turn of the year, and they are also closing in on a second slice of English football history.

With 82 Premier League goals scored already in 2024, Arsenal need just five more this month to set a new outright record and surpass the current highest tally of 86, and they still have four games to try to achieve that unprecedented feat.

Arteta: 'Arsenal want to be the kings of everything'
Key to Arsenal's prolific goalscoring form has been their unrivalled success at corners, having netted 22 Premier League goals from such situations since the start of last term, including both of their efforts against Manchester United in midweek.

However, Arteta is not content with his side just being the 'corner kings', telling reporters at his pre-match press conference: "We want to be the kings of everything - at set pieces, the best in the world, at high press, the best in the world, attacking open spaces, the best in the world.

"We want the best atmosphere in the stadium, and be the best at everything. Before it was about we didn't score enough, we were so defensive in our mentality, we were not physical enough and could not challenge the top teams and going 22, 17, 20 years without winning away from home in big matches.

"We want to be the best at everything, we want to have the best academy, the best individual development for players, recruit the best players and have the best coaches. That's the aim and now we have to go and do something else."

Arsenal will head to Craven Cottage without knee victims Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Arteta was coy on the availability of fellow defenders Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori when facing the media.



https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/arsenal/news/six-of-the-best-how-can-arsenal-make-english-football-history-against-fulham_560110.html?newsnow

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Fulham away, tough but winnable.
Morning all.

Both clubs in Manchester dropped points yesterday, Utd were beaten at home by Nottingham Forest while City drew with Crystal Palace away from home. Liverpool's game against Everton was postponed  because of the weather. Four Premier League fixtures take place today including Totts v Chelsea and of course, Fulham v Arsenal. A win today would close the gap behind Liverpool to just four points.

Fulham away is a tough old fixture for many a club but, they've suffered a couple of hefty defeats at home during the last month or two. Aston Villa beat them 3-1 back in October but the real shock was Wolves battering them 4-1 just a couple of weeks ago. This month, they took a point off Totts in north London before beating Brighton at Craven Cottage in the week. Brighton were unlucky really though as a mistake from their goalkeeper gifted Fulham their opening goal and an own goal gave Fulham a 2-1 lead before Iwobi scored his second late in the game.

Under Silva, Fulham have gained a reputation for being a balanced team which is both disciplined and flexible in the way they play. They press high, they move around like ants, creating space for a pass or when out of possession, hassling the opposition. They're strong defensively and quick on the break.

Last season, we managed to take just a point off Silva's team which came at The Emirates. On New Year's Eve, at Craven Cottage, despite Bukayo Saka scoring just four minutes into the game, we ended up losing 2-1. Jimenez scored Fulham's equaliser before half-time before De Cordova-Reid took advantage of a corner we didn't clear in the second half. It was one of those games when we bossed the possession stats but couldn't convert more than one of our 13 shots. In fact only 3 were on target.

This defeat followed a loss against West Ham and a draw at Anfield. The festive season in 2023 wasn't very kind to Arsenal.

Fulham made four permanent signings back in the summer, one of which was Arsenal fans favourite, Emile Smith-Rowe who has done well since moving across London. Reiss Nelson made the switch to Fulham too but on a loan deal. He's ruled out for this one of course but in any case, he's injured, as is their central defender Andersen. They had a couple of big departures though with Palhinha moving to Bayern Munich and Tosin Adarabioyo joining Chelsea for free.

Arsenal's Adrian Clarke:

Fulham are a very well-rounded side who will press us, pass neatly through the thirds, and look to attack whenever possible. After 14 rounds of league games, they have had one more shot than us, a stat which outlines how they are a side that wants to play on the front foot. Including corners, they have made more successful crosses than any other team, and in open play they also lead the way with 52.

Andreas Pereira whips excellent corners and wide free kicks into the box, while in general play it is left-back Antonee Robinson who supplies the best ammunition from wide areas. The USA international's duel with Bukayo Saka is one to watch, as each will try to push the other back.

Smith Rowe is impressing in the No.10 role within their 4-2-3-1 shape. He has brought great quality on the ball, and breaks into the box as often as possible, scoring three Premier League goals.

If there is a weakness it is possibly that they lack natural defensive midfielders. In truth that hasn't held them back, as their defensive stats remain strong. That said, the loss of key centre-back Andersen to injury is a blow.

As for Arsenal's squad for today, Mikel Arteta was again cagey about who is or isn't fit. Hopefully both Gabriel and Riccardo Calafiori will have recovered for this one. Not that Jakub Kiwior or Oleksandr Zinchenko put much of a foot wrong against Man Utd.

Mikel Arteta did say that he wants Arsenal to be the best at everything in the game:

    We want to be the kings of everything. at set pieces, the best in the world, at high press, the best in the world, attacking open spaces, the best in the world. We want the best atmosphere in the stadium, and be the best at everything. We want to be the best at everything. we want to have the best academy, the best individual development for players, recruit the best players and have the best coaches. That's the aim.

Love it, that's just what fans need to hear from their manager as it's what you and I want too. Arsenal to be the best in every department of the club both on and off the pitch. Whether or not he achieves it is unlikely because perfection means to never drop a point in any game or lose a tie in any competition but reaching such heights should always be the aim in sport. Settling for second best simply doesn't appear to be in Mikel Arteta's managerial DNA.

I bet he's loved reading the comments about Arsenal being similar to Stoke City on set-pieces because it's a compliment rather than ridicule. On set-pieces we are strong, very strong but that's where the Stoke City comparison starts and ends.

There are a few headlines about how Arsenal are out for revenge after last seasons results and I couldn't agree more with the sentiment. I hope we can go to Fulham today and start fast. Score early in the game and more than once. Be strong, disciplined and ruthless in front of goal.



https://highbury-house.com/fulham-away-tough-but-winnable/

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Arteta must unleash "special" Arsenal star who's their new Smith Rowe
Arsenal are set to come up against several former players this weekend when they face Fulham. The Cottagers' side has several players who used to ply their trade in North London rather than West London, and they are in contention to face their old club on Sunday afternoon.

One of those players is former goalkeeper Bernd Leno. He cost Fulham £8m in 2022, making the move directly from Arsenal. Two of the other players are former academy stars, Alex Iwobi and Reiss Nelson, with the latter departing the club over the summer.

Arsenal will also come up against another academy graduate who recently left the Emirates Stadium, Emile Smith Rowe.

Smith Rowe's career before and after leaving Arsenal
The versatile attacking player has had something of a frustrating career. He was meant to be tearing things up for the Gunners alongside Buakyo Saka, but things did not quite work out how he nor every Arsenal fan had hoped.

The England international made 115 appearances for the club that helped bring him through, scoring 18 goals and grabbing 13 assists. He spent six seasons in the first team at the Emirates Stadium, intertwined with two loan spells at German outfit RB Leipzig and Huddersfield Town.

It was an impressive campaign for the attacking midfielder in 2021/22 when he scored ten goals and grabbed two assists in 33 Premier League games.

However, he did not have many opportunities in an Arsenal shirt after that. Injury was part of the reason why he played just 25 Premier League games in the two seasons that followed.

That said, the attacker's career at Fulham so far has been fantastic. In 14 top-flight games under Marco Silva, Smith Rowe has three goals and two assists to his name. His former boss Mikel Arteta explained before the game he is "really happy" the Hale End star is playing so well because he is "a very special talent".



Perhaps Arteta regrets letting his former number ten leave this summer and might wish he gave him one more season to get back to his elegant best. However, there is a new kid on the block for the Gunners, who could be their new Smith Rowe.

Arsenal's new Smith Rowe
The youngster in question here is the impressive Ethan Nwaneri. It has been a real breakthrough season for the Premier League's youngest-ever player. He made his debut in 2022/23 at the age of 15 years and 5 months old.

After fleeting performances last season, Nwaneri has become a more prominent fixture in Arteta's squad this term. He has played 11 times in all competitions, scoring his first goals in that famous Red shirt against Bolton Wanderers in the Carabao Cup, and his first top-flight goal against Nottingham Forest in a 3-0 thrashing.

It was a fantastic performance from the talented young winger against Preston North End, a game in which he also scored. As per Sofascore, the youngster, who played as an advanced number eight, completed 98% of his passes and two out of three attempted dribbles.

Nwaneri is a player who is highly rated amongst Arsenal fans. Football analyst and Gunners supporter Ben Mattinson described him as a "special" player after his performance against the Lilywhites in the Carabao Cup.

Interestingly, "special" was a word Jamie Carragher used to describe Smith Rowe back in 2021 after a Premier League win over Crystal Palace. Although he was a few years older at the time than the 17-year-old Nwaneri, it is fascinating to see that he was rated just as much when he began to break into the first team.

There are certainly similarities that can be drawn between Smith Rowe and Nwaneri. Not only are they both well-loved and highly rated by Arsenal fans and pundits alike, but both are products of the esteemed Hale End academy.

Gunners fans may well look back on Smith Rowe's time at the club and wonder what could have been if he could have recaptured his form. However, with Nwaneri, they can certainly get excited about the future.

Perhaps now, with games coming thick and fast, it could be the perfect time for Nwaneri to be unleashed from the start...



https://www.footballfancast.com/arteta-must-unleash-special-arsenal-star-nwaneri-whos-their-new-smith-rowe/

[WhiteJC]

Arsenal drop early Gabriel team news hint vs Fulham as Mikel Arteta makes decision
Mikel Arteta refused to risk Gabriel Magalhaes against Manchester United in midweek after the defender felt something during last weekend's win over West Ham United.

 Arsenal have hinted that Jakub Kiwior could start his second consecutive Premier League match when they play Fulham at Craven Cottage - with Gabriel Magalhaes facing a late fitness test.

Kiwior came into the starting line-up for the midweek win over Manchester United, with manager Mikel Arteta opting against the "big risk" of playing Gabriel in that game. Riccardo Calafiori's unavailability, alongside the long-term absences of Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu, meant the Poland international was given a rare opportunity to start in central defence.

It had been over a year since Kiwior partnered William Saliba at the back - in last season's 5-0 win against Sheffield United. Much like on that occasion, the Gunners kept a clean sheet against United on their way to a routine victory.

Just days after that game, the club's official Instagram account posted a graphic, ahead of the Fulham match, that features a photo of Kiwior. "Forward together for the next challenge," reads the caption alongside an image of him from the 2-0 defeat at Bournemouth in October.

 That's the only time Kiwior has worn this season's third shirt in a match, while Arsenal will, once again, play in that particular kit against Fulham. Hours later, they shared another matchday graphic - on Sunday morning - featuring a photo of Declan Rice from the same game at Bournemouth.

Neither of those players posted about the match on their Instagram accounts, but Jorginho and Raheem Sterling have done. As the former often does the day before a game, he shared a graphic on his story - detailing the times the game is due to kick-off in Italy and Brazil - with Jorginho holding links to both nations.

Sterling posted a similar matchday graphic on Sunday morning. The England man was an unused substitute against United after featuring as a second-half substitute at West Ham last weekend for his tenth appearance since signing on loan from Chelsea.



https://www.football.london/arsenal-fc/news/arsenal-drop-early-gabriel-team-30538931

[WhiteJC]

£70m duo out, Gabriel decision made: Arsenal predicted lineup vs Fulham
It wasn't long ago that many thought the title race was done and dusted. Hand Arne Slot's men the trophy, they said. Well, if Arsenal win today then the Gunners will cut the gap at the top of the table to just four points.

Liverpool's clash with Everton on Saturday was postponed due to adverse weather and thus, it gives Mikel Arteta's side a wonderful opportunity to pile further pressure on their title rivals.

 They will have to do so against an in-form Fulham team, one boasting plentiful ex-Arsenal stars such as goalkeeper Bernd Leno, winger Alex Iwobi and Hale End darling Emile Smith Rowe.

They also visit a ground where they dropped precious points in the title race last season...

Arsenal's last trip to Craven Cottage
This was hardly the most ideal of ways to see out 2023. It was the year's final day in the calendar when the Gunners headed across London to visit Fulham.

Having already drawn with the Cottagers at the Emirates Stadium just a few months before, Arteta will have rightfully been a tad nervous.

Perhaps that was shown in the performance as they ultimately lost 2-1. It all started swimmingly when Bukayo Saka found the net after just five minutes but the hosts came back fighting.

Raul Jimenez scored just before the half-hour mark and from that point onwards Arsenal failed to really get going, ultimately left to rue Bobby Reid's winner in the 59th minute.

So, it would appear that Fulham are somewhat of a bogey team in recent years.

Arsenal team news vs Fulham
For the trip across town, the Gunners will definitely be without Takehiro Tomiyasu and Ben White who are both long-term absentees. White recently underwent surgery on a knee issue and isn't due back in the squad until 2025.

The club are also sweating on the fitness of fellow defenders Gabriel and Riccardo Calafiori. Both played against West Ham a week ago but sat out the 2-0 win over Manchester United through injury.

 The positive news is that both players trained on Friday, although the bad news is that they weren't with the full group.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Arteta admitted that it could be a case of wait and see following Saturday's training session.

"We have another training session tomorrow [Saturday], so we will see how everyone is. Until tomorrow's training session it's very difficult to say."

So, what does that mean for the potential starting XI we could see at Craven Cottage on Sunday?

Arsenal's predicted lineup vs Fulham
So, every Arsenal supporter will have their fingers and toes crossed that Gabriel and Calafiori will be fit enough to take their place in the squad.

Providing they are, then it's expected that there will be two changes to the side that defeated Man United in midweek.

That means Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jakub Kiwior - two admirable performers from that win given a lack of game time - will drop out.

Beyond that, the only other change could see Leandro Trossard come back in for Gabriel Martinelli. It's safe to say that the Belgian sees Craven Cottage as a happy hunting ground considering he actually registered three assists in the 3-0 win back in March 2023.

Martinelli has been hit and miss this term but Trossard does appear to be finding some form having scored against both Lisbon and West Ham in recent weeks.

Arsenal predicted lineup in full: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Partey, Rice, Odegaard, Saka, Trossard, Havertz.



https://www.footballfancast.com/gabriel-decision-made-arsenal-predicted-lineup-vs-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

Here is my Arsenal line-up and score prediction against Fulham today – What's your's?
Arsenal v Fulham; predicted lineups and score.

Arsenal are back in Premier League action this afternoon with a very tricky clash with Fulham. The London based side has been a thorn in our side in the past few campaigns, especially the last where they took a total of 5 points from us over our two meetings. Those dropped points were proven to be vital come the end of the campaign due to us missing out on the League by just two points.

Today will provide another opportunity, not just to get revenge, but to also make up further ground in the title race. Liverpool's postponed fixture will mean that we have the opportunity to cut the gap to four points, giving us a huge psychological boost in the process.

For the game itself, Arteta wasn't too keen to give much away in the way of team news in his pre match press conference on Friday. With that said however, we can have a guess of what the starting lineup might look like this afternoon, he has always been consistent with the starting eleven, making little to no changes throughout his Arsenal career, so we might have a good guess, Here's mine:

David Raya
Jurrien Timber
William Saliba
Gabriel Magalhães
Oleksandr Zinchenko
Thomas Partey
Declan Rice
Martin Ødegaard
Bukayo Saka
Kai Havertz
Leandro Trossard.

The biggest call might be who to start on the left-wing, Martinelli was trusted in midweek so we might see Trossard coming back in. Apart from that, calls on the injured Gabriel and Calafiori might be left late, but I think the former might make it just in time

With our incredible confidence and matching form, I think we will carry on scoring and happily win 3-1. So what's your predictions?



https://www.justarsenal.com/here-is-my-arsenal-line-up-and-score-prediction-against-fulham-today-whats-yours/382263

[WhiteJC]

Advantage Arsenal. Gunners Line Up to Beat Stubborn Fulham and Narrow the Gap at the top. Rotation on the cards?
Arsenal and Fulham are going head-to-head today at Craven Cottage. Looking at results between them last season not being able to beat them, whether at home or away, was definitely a big blow to our title hopes.

Surely it's crucial Arsenal gets it right this time around. It should be so not as a payback for last season but because winning this game really helps Arsenal's title hopes.

Since Liverpool didn't play on Saturday because their match against Everton got postponed due to bad weather, Arsenal will have a chance to narrow the gap at the top of the table by just 4 points.

This puts some pressure on the Merseyside club. And some commentators have pointed out this slight advantage to the chasing pack.

On the other hand if the game had been played it would have been under some favourable circumstances.

The weather which, as severe as it was, would surely have constricted Liverpool in playing their normal passing game and given the lesser opponent a strong platform to get something from the fixture.

Now Fulham isn't a team to mess around with. Even though Chris Sutton in his BBC column thinks Arsenal will win this battle, he still thinks this game is going to be a tough one for our Gunners.

The ex-Chelsea man, while predicting a 2-1 Arsenal win, admitted, "they did not miss Gabriel at the back against United, but this might be a tougher test for them, especially because some of Fulham's key players are Gunners old boys"

Gabriel and Calafiori may return to the Arsenal lineup after missing the match against Manchester United. They did not take part in the open training session but it has been reported that they participated in individual training, which is encouraging news.

If they are not available then Arteta will likely go with Kiwior and Zinchenco again which is risky. Zinchenko although he has improved, he still is vulnerable to a pacy winger taking him on.

One alternative would be to move Partey to RB and Timber at LB. We have also favoured Tierney be used at LB but it looks like Arteta may be reluctant to do that.

In midfield the trio of Rice, Partey, and Odegaard  may continue (if Partey is selected to play there) to lay the foundation of an Arsenal dominance.

Trossard may return at LW for Martinelli who didn't justify his start there versus United.

Lastly in the attack Arteta may surprise a lot of people by resting Havertz and playing Jesus there. It wouldn't be a surprise really as Havertz looked jaded against Man utd. On the other hand he may choose to rest him for the midweek CL game instead.

The line up if Calafiori and Gabriel are available:

Raya
Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori
Partey, Rice, Odegaard
Saka, Havertz, Trossard

If they are not the Kiwior and Zinchenco are likely to start.



http://arsenalanalysis.blogspot.com/2024/12/advantage-arsenal-gunners-line-up-to.html

[WhiteJC]

Premier League Soccer: Livestream Fulham vs. Arsenal From Anywhere
The Gunners look to gain ground on league leaders Liverpool in this capital clash.

Title-chasing Arsenal make the short trip across town to face London rivals Fulham on Sunday in this intriguing derby clash at Craven Cottage.

With league leaders Liverpool's match with Everton postponed thanks to high winds, Mikel Arteta's Gunners have the opportunity to close the gap at the top to just five points.

There's more than just bragging rights up for grabs for Marco Silva's in-form Fulham today, with a win here set to elevate the Cottagers up to a heady fifth place.

Fulham host Arsenal on Sunday, Dec. 7, at Craven Cottage in west London, with kickoff set for 2 p.m. GMT local time, making it a 9 a.m. ET or 6 a.m. PT start in the US and Canada, and a 1 a.m. AEDT kickoff in Australia in the early hours of Monday morning.

Below, we'll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch the match as it happens, wherever you are in the world.

How to watch Fulham vs. Arsenal in the US without cable
Sunday's Fulham vs. Arsenal  match is streaming on Peacock. You'll need a Peacock Premium or Premium Plus account to catch the game live.

How to watch the Premier League 2024-25 season from anywhere with a VPN
If you find yourself unable to view EPL matches locally, you may need a different way to watch the games -- that's where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it's also a great idea if you're traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.

With a VPN, you're able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. Most VPNs, like our Editors' Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.

Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you're streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.

Livestream Fulham vs. Arsenal in the UK
This Sunday afternoon kickoff is exclusive to Sky Sports, showing on its Sky Sports Main Event, Premier League and UHD channels. If you already have Sky Sports as part of your TV package, you can stream the game via its Sky Go app, but cord-cutters will want to get set up with a Now account and a Now Sports membership to stream the game.

Livestream Fulham vs. Arsenal in Canada
If you want to stream this EPL game live in Canada, you'll need to subscribe to Fubo Canada. The service has exclusive rights to every Premier League fixture once again this season.

Livestream Fulham vs. Arsenal in Australia
Football fans down under can watch EPL matches live on streaming service Optus Sport, which is showing every single Premier League fixture of the 2024-25 season live in Australia.

Quick tips for streaming the Premier League using a VPN
    With four variables at play -- your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN -- your experience and success when streaming EPL matches may vary.
    If you don't see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the "search for city or country" option.
    If you're having trouble getting the game after you've turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs -- like Roku -- don't have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you'll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you're using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
    All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network's sports app, you'll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
    Remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you're using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.



https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/premier-league-soccer-livestream-fulham-vs-arsenal-from-anywhere/

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