Premier League
Fulham vs Arsenal Preview
Craven Cottage, London – Arsenal will be aiming to make it nine straight wins when they travel across the capital to face Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Emery made nine alterations for the 3-0 Europa League win in Qarabag as the Gunners racked up an eighth straight win in all competitions. Fulham were thumped 3-0 at Everton last weekend, but four of the five Premier League points that they have picked up this season were won at Craven Cottage.
Previous Encounters:
Fulham last faced Arsenal in January 2014 in the Premier League, losing 2-0; the Cottagers have won just three of their 26 Premier League games against the Gunners (D5 L18).
View From Both Camps:
Unai Emery (Arsenal):
“Usually I don’t look behind, every day I’m looking at the next matches – what’s in front.”
“For me, whether we win or lose, every match is giving me a lot of information about how to improve. Every coach wants to win, but it’s not easy to do that.”
“My only focus is on Sunday against Fulham, to get three points to continue going up in the table.”
Slavisa Jokanovic (Fulham):
“It’s great opportunity, we play in our home and we must start being braver, stronger and faster and show more ambition to win the game, this is our home, we must mark our territory and push hard to hurt opposite team.
“It’s easier working with positive result than negative but it’s part of the process and our business and we cannot stop, we must be available for work and with high level of the confidence.”
“Our fans will make everything for us to push in positive way to fight for the three points but solution is in our hands and definitely we need to encourage them.”
Team News:
Fulham defenders Joe Bryan and Timothy Fosu-Mensah have been ruled out of Sunday’s clash against Arsenal.
Defender Alfie Mawson is in contention to return following a back injury, while fit-again midfielder Tom Cairney is pushing to start. Calum Chambers is ineligible to face his parent club.
Arsenal have Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (illness) available for selection. Bernd Leno will continue in goal as Petr Cech is out with a hamstring injury.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles (fibula), Laurent Koscielny (Achilles) and Dinos Mavraponos (groin) remain out as they recover from injuries.
Predicted Lineups:
Fulham (4-2-3-1): Bettinelli; Christie, Ream, Mawson, Le Marchand; Cairney, Seri; Vietto, Schurrle, Sessegnon; Mitrovic.
Arsenal (4-3-2-1): Leno; Bellerin, Mustafi, Sokratis, Monreal; Torreira, Xhaka; Mkhitaryan, Ozil, Aubameyang; Lacazette.
Match Prediction:
Fulham are struggling to translate their style into results at the moment, whereas Arsenal go into the game as the most in-form team in the league at the moment and are full of confidence. Fulham have the quality to survive this season, but matches against the likes of Arsenal are not where they will pick up the points to do so.
Prediction: Fulham 0-3 Arsenal
