Following their hard-fought draw against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday, Arsenal return to London looking to regain breathing room over Manchester City as the host Fulham to begin the final month of the season.
Arsenal have traveled far and wide in the quest to break their trophy drought this season. Now, as the long and grueling campaign approaches its finale, the Gunners can put their carry-on luggage up as five London matches remain across the Premier League and Champions League, barring a spot in the CL
final in Budapest.
Arsenal finished up a rough April with a draw at Athletico Madrid, capping off a month where Arsenal managed just two wins from seven matches. Their uncharacteristically poor run nearly derailed the entire season, but the Gunners emerged battered, bruised, and far from finished.
A win against Newcastle last weekend kept their title hopes alive after back-to-back defeats in the league. With no room for error, the stakes have ramped up with Manchester City nipping at their heels. But with the Cityzens facing their own fixture juggling, Mikel Arteta’s men have an opportunity to put the pressure back on Pep Guardiola’s side on Saturday by extending their lead to 6 points.
The Gunners have reestablished themselves as the standard bearers in England’s capital over the past several seasons. While their local rivals have found themselves struggling to find stability, Arsenal have steadily risen the ranks to find themselves at the cusp of greatness. With their remaining travels reduced to short bus rides, can they maximize their home advantage to make one last push to secure the title?
Here are three talking points ahead of Saturday’s match:
Know the Enemy
Fulham enter this weekend’s London Derby in 10th place on 48 points with a record of 14W/6D/14L.
Fulham’s season has been good, with an outside chance for it to be great by the end. With 4 matches left to play, the Cottagers are one of a handful of clubs on 48 points and sit just outside a European qualifying spot. Having never finished higher than 7th in a PL campaign, they are in the thick of it against a log jam of sides eager to punch their ticket to either the Europa League of the Conference League.
An otherwise solid campaign has been hobbled by a poor patch in front of goal as they have been held goalless in five of their last eight matches. Facing a knackered Gunners side that host a decisive Champions League semifinal match next Tuesday, their hope will lie in catching the hosts looking ahead and playing conservatively to keep legs as fresh as possible. Attacker Harry Wilson has risen to become their top scorer this season, and his threat is undeniable, having scored some crucial goals for the Cottagers.
Statistically, Fulham are just about where they are expected to be. They are firmly middle of the table in most attacking and defensive metrics according to Opta, who have them 13th in their adjusted league table. The one area where they have over-performed is in limiting shots on target. They are currently 4th best in the league, having only given up 130. With Arsenal’s attack sputtering at the moment, they will hope that they can continue their trend of limiting chances when they visit the Emirates.
If Fulham want to find some joy against the Gunners in the attack, it will be in transition. The wear and tear of the season has caught up with Arsenal, and it has made them far more susceptible to teams that look to get in behind. Bournemouth laid down a blueprint for other teams to follow, leaning on a well-drilled press and a effective transition attack to punish the Gunners at the Emirates.
The result of this tie is far from a given. Despite the one-sided history between the two London clubs, the Gunners have struggled to see off Fulham in recent meetings and have only won twice over their last five encounters. Manager Marco Silva has proved an adept manager against Arteta and will look to frustrate him and Arsenal once more.
Fulham come to the Emirates with a handful of injuries. The most significant loss is that of former Gunner Alex Iwobi, who picked up a thigh injury in their draw against Brentford. Kenny Tete, Ryan Sessegnon, and Kevin are all likely to miss out on Saturday’s match as well.
Injuries & Suspensions
Wednesday’s match was as physical as expected. In the aftermath of the draw, Martin Ødegaard’s availability is once again in jeopardy after coming off with minor discomfort in his knee. His injury woes have been a constant factor this season, so any minor tweak creates a potential for concern.
OUT: Mikel Merino (foot)
DOUBT: Kai Havertz (groin), Martin Ødegaard (knee), Jurrien Timber (hip/groin)
Predicted Lineup
Attack: Eze, Gyökeres, Saka
Arsenal began Wednesday’s match with a front three that hasn’t found a rhythm together this season. With a chance to go 6 points clear of Manchester City, there’s no more room for experimentation up top.
Eberechi Eze has kicked on into good form since returning from injury. His goal against Newcastle last weekend proved to be the difference, and he was sharp once again midweek. His directness and quality on the ball makes him a huge threat off the left. If he has to drop into midfield for Martin Ødegaard, I think Leandro Trossard is the likely next man up.
Bukayo Saka got another 25 minutes midweek after returning to the side last weekend. Does Arteta decide to give him the start after just returning from another layoff? He may not be fully match fit, but he is undoubtedly the lifeblood of the attack. An hour will do him and the side some good if he is fit. If he is still not quite there yet, Noni Madueke starts.
With Kai Havertz’ status still unclear, Viktor Gyökeres resumes his role up top. Flanked by Eze and Saka, he will have sole support on the wings and hopefully build up some confidence following a decent outing against Atletico.
Midfield: Rice, Zubimendi, Ødegaard
The midfield trio got another start and weathered the intensity of Atletico with success.
Declan Rice played a deeper role against Atletico and it made a big difference. With Rice in a 6 role, it freed up Martin Zubimendi to play slightly higher up the pitch, which kept him from having to make as many recovery runs. Anything that helps keep his legs from unnecessary wear and tear is a prudent move at this stage.
Martin Ødegaard had another good showing before coming off, though he was unable to be incisive in the final third. With Saka potentially starting, he will finally have his preferred target on the left to interchange with.
Defense: Hincapie, Gabriel, Saliba, Mosquera
The back four is unlikely to change, with potentially two exceptions.
On the right, Cristhian Mosquera is a likely starter. Ben White’s performance left a lot to be desired on Wednesday. He hasn’t been the same since a series of injuries took him out of the side the past two seasons.
On the left, Piero Hincapie is the likely starter. Riccardo Calafiori is available once again, but Hincapie has been excellent in recent weeks. The decision to keep Calafiori shelved against Atletico was likely due to the game state. Even still, Arteta will likely want to ease him back in before he gets a start.
The centerback pairing is sorted. Gabriel and William Saliba are absolute warriors.
Keeper: Raya
David Raya put in another massive shift in the CL. Outside of the penalty, he was in command at the back and was locked in all night. The league leader in clean sheets will look to notch his 17th of the season on Saturday.
It’s so close, folks. The end is perilously near. Questions (and injuries) abound after a trying month, but the excitement is still unbearably palpable. This side has managed to frustrate and elate us in equal measure while pushing to see this project to fruition. April is finally behind them, and four Premier League matches are all that remain. There’s no telling what the next month holds for this club, but as long as there is fight left in them, they control their destiny. It may not be pretty, and it may not be easy, but it could just end up being magical.
WHO: Arsenal vs Fulham
WHAT: Premier League match day 35
WHEN: Saturday, May 2nd, 12:30pm EST/9:30am PST/5:30pm GMT
WHERE: The Emirates Stadium, London
HOW TO WATCH: Broadcast live on NBC. Streaming on the Peacock app.
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