The October international break is over, and Arsenal return to the Premier League in pole position. It’s early days yet, but the Gunners have put themselves in the driver’s seat early with a string of wins and convincing performances across all competitions. But with a slim lead early in the season, there’s work to do if they want to extend their stay in the top spot.
The Gunners will look at Saturday’s match as a chance to capitalize on their league-leading form when they take a short trip across
London to take on 14th place Fulham for the 8th match of the PL season. The weekend’s tilt is the start of a run of domestic matches that, if results fall their way, could see the gap at the top widen before the next break in November.
The PL has been a minefield of trap games and prat falls for the Gunners in recent campaigns, with Fulham a primary culprit of Arsenal’s woes the past two seasons. With 1 win in their last 4 against the Cottagers, Mikel Arteta’s side will be eager to get off the mark early, stand resolute in the defense, and keep themselves in the win column and at the top of the table.
Exiting another international break, can the Gunners shake off past slip-ups, find their top gear, and take to task another recent thorn in their sides with a number of teams hot on their heels? Here are five talking points ahead of Saturday’s match:
Know the Enemy
It’s hard to get a bead on Fulham so far. Sitting 14th with a record of 2-2-3, they are adrift in the middle of the table without any clear signs where they are headed. Their two wins on the season have come against the two sides directly beneath them, Brentford and Leeds, while they have struggled against top half teams, with losses to Bournemouth and Chelsea, as well as a rising Aston Villa.
Recent losses shined an ugly light on a potentially worrying trend. Their loss to the Cherries before the break saw them take a lead late in the second half before Bournemouth put three past them in the final 20 minutes. Before that, they scored first against Villa before conceding three goals with no response. Their inability to hold a lead and hold off teams have stifled their progress under manager Marco Silva, as they have looked like a decent side while failing to break out of mid table purgatory under his care.
A big issue for the Cottagers is the lack of a major goal threat. Through 7 matches, no player has scored more than one goal for Fulham, despite a roster with a fair bit of attacking prowess. Their 8 goals scored are about on par with their expected xG of 7.2, but without an out and out threat in the attack, they haven’t asserted themselves in front of goal the way they’d have hoped. Statistically, they are about where they should be, and they will need to improve in the attack if they have hopes of battling for a European spot.
Fulham will be without Rodrigo Muniz and Kenny Tete on the weekend, while the likes of Antonee Robinson, Sasa Lukic, and Raul Jimenez are potential doubts.
Injuries & Suspensions
It’s really not Martin Ødegaard’s year.
After returning from two consecutive shoulder injuries, Arsenal’s captain suffered an MCL injury after going knee-to-knee with a West Ham player in the first half of the Gunner’s last match. Though he tried to play on, he was forced to come off before halftime, making him the first ever PL player to be subbed before halftime in three consecutive matches. We all hoped he’d break records, just not quite like this.
On the bright side (sort of), Arsenal’s captain will avoid having to go under the knife. Still, with his recovery time estimated at 6 weeks, the earliest he is expected back is in December. Ben White, who has endured his own frustrating run of injuries, was out of training this week with an undisclosed injury.
Loanee Piero Hincapie made a return to training this week, one a handful of players set to return in the coming weeks, including Kai Havertz and Noni Madueke. If all goes to plan, they should be available for selection by the end of the month, which will be tremendous with the winter fixture list about to kick on. Gabriel Jesus has been running on grass as he recovers from his ACL injury, but is not expected back until after the new year.
OUT: Martin Ødegaard (MCL), Kai Havertz (knee), Noni Madueke (knee), Gabriel Jesus (ACL)
DOUBTFUL: Ben White, Piero Hincapie
Predicted Lineup
Attack: Trossard, Gyökeres, Saka
If I were a betting man, I’d be willing to bet that Arsenal’s attack that started the West Ham match starts again on Saturday. Brazil’s travel plans over the break took them to South Korea and Japan, which means a lengthy sojourn back to North London for the Gabriels. Regardless, the left has been Leandro Trossard’s as of late, and he’s had the sort of showings we’ve come to expect of him – nothing spectacular, but workman-like and technical. With Kai Havertz still on the mend, the striker spot remains Viktor Gyökeres’ as he looks to break his goal drought and become a lethal attacking force for the Gunners. Bukayo Saka scored a worldie for England over the break and looks like he has rediscovered his elite sharpness.
Midfield: Rice, Zubimendi, Eze
The unfortunate injury to Ødegaard means more Eberechi Eze at the 10. His burgeoning performances for the Arsenal in recent matches have given fans plenty of reason to be excited. He’s continued to grow and adapt to Arteta’s tactics and is unlucky to not have a few goals to his name after flashing some dangerous attempts that have just narrowly missed the mark. At the rate he is playing, he’ll find the net sooner rather than later. Martin Zubimendi is a nailed on starter at the base of the midfield already, and his sublime control and progression will be extremely important against a Fulham side that has frustrated Arsenal in recent performances. Thankfully, Declan Rice’s injury scare against West Ham proved to only be a minor setback after featuring for England twice over the break.
Defense: Calafiori, Gabriel, Saliba, Timber
If there’s one position group that you don’t want to have to shake up too much, it’s the defense. The back line have had a huge hand in helping the Gunners climb their way back to the top of the league, so why change it? Riccardo Calafiori has been the main left back, but his ability to pop up just about everywhere else on the pitch has added a brilliant bit of chaos and unpredictability into the side. Gabriel, like Martinelli, is returning from half way around the world, which may give Arteta some pause with his team selection, but he was left on the bench for Brazil’s second friendly against Japan. If Gabriel is unavailable, then Cristhian Mosquera starts while William Saliba and Jurrien Timber retain their strangleholds on their spots.
Keeper: Raya
David Raya spent another international break on the bench while Spain all but locked up their World Cup berth for next summer. It’d be nice to see him get some run out for his country, but his time will come. Until then, he stays Arsenal’s undisputed starter with six clean sheets across all competitions this season.
Arsenal look like the league’s most complete side in the opening months and have become the favorites to take home the title, as preliminary as the odds may be. After a massive summer transfer haul, they are ready to challenge on all fronts with what is arguably the league’s best depth. They may not be fully healthy, but they look far better equipped to navigate the unpredictable nature of the season than they ever have under Mikel Arteta. Their chances of finally ending their trophy drought will hinge as much on matches like Saturday’s as the big derbies. If this side is for real, they need to continue proving it in matches where they are the heavy favorites.
WHO: Arsenal at Fulham
WHAT: Premier League match day 8
WHEN: Saturday, October 18th, 12:30pm EST/9:30am PST/5:30pm GMT
WHERE: Craven Cottage, London
HOW TO WATCH: Broadcast live on the USA Network, streaming on the Peacock and Amazon Prime Video apps
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