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Fulham need to establish winning momentum, Arsenal to maintain it
Fulham are looking to build on last season's impressive seventh-place finish – the best in the club's history – but their start to the current Premier League campaign has been a little disappointing, yielding six points from a possible 15, thanks to victories at Portsmouth and at home to Everton. Defeats against Chelsea (h), Aston Villa (a) and Wolverhampton Wanderers (a) mean Fulham are currently 15th in the table; the Cottagers have also played six cup ties already this season, five in the Europa League and one in the League Cup.
Those ties have produced three wins, a draw and two defeats, including Wednesday night's exit from the League Cup at the hands of Manchester City. That defeat made it one win from their last seven outings in all competitions, so manager Roy Hodgson will be anxious for his team to get back on the winning track and re-establish Craven Cottage as a tough venue for opponents to visit.
An attractive London derby against Arsenal is their assignment this Saturday, and Hodgson will be looking for the improvement to start immediately. He will no doubt be encouraged by the fact that last season his team took four points off the Gunners – no-one took more, and only Aston Villa took as many – in what was Fulham's best-ever return against their north-London rivals.
Brede Hangeland, linked this summer with a move to the Emirates until Arsenal signed Thomas Vermaelen, scored the only goal of the game at Craven Cottage 13 months ago. And when the teams clashed again at Ashburton Grove at the end of February, the outcome was 0-0 – Arsenal's fourth consecutive goalless draw in a flat spell that extinguished their lingering title hopes.
However, Hodgson will no doubt also be aware that although Fulham have beaten Arsenal at home in two of the last three seasons, the Gunners have won six of the eight previous encounters at the Cottage since Fulham returned to the top flight in 2001. Indeed, this will be the 46th meeting in all competitions between the two clubs, and Arsenal have won 31 of them to Fulham's seven, with seven ending in draws.
If Fulham are to achieve their eighth victory over Arsenal, Irish winger Damien Duff – in good form since his arrival from Newcastle United – will probably need to supply a decent service for strikers Bobby Zamora and Andrew Johnson. Danny Murphy and US international Clint Dempsey will be looking to control midfield, and behind them Hangeland and Australian keeper Mark Schwarzer will hope to impose themselves as barriers to Arsenal's potent attacking play.
The Gunners have netted 27 goals in nine games, averaging exactly three a game, and are currently the Premier League's leading scorers with 17 goals to their name; in contrast, Fulham have scored just four. On the other hand Fulham have conceded one goal fewer (seven, compared with Arsenal's eight).
Arsene Wenger's side appear to have shrugged off the disappointment of consecutive defeats in Manchester by winning their next three in three different competitions. Having been well-placed to beat both Manchester United and Manchester City before succumbing each time to defensive lapses, they remain upbeat but know that they simply can't afford any more slip-ups as Chelsea and United make hay at the top of the table.
Arsenal's crowded treatment room is gradually thinning out as key players become available again, giving Wenger reason to believe his team are still very much in the mix, but they will need to do all their talking on the pitch, with points at a premium.
Both managers will revert to their more familiar starting XIs after making wholesale changes for their respective League Cup ties in midweek. Arsenal's youngsters beat West Bromwich Albion 2-0 at home with goals from Sanchez Watt and Carlos Vela, while at Eastlands, Zoltan Gera's superb opener was not enough for Fulham, who eventually went down 2-1 to Manchester City after extra-time.
Last weekend, the teams also experienced contrasting fortunes, Arsenal comprehensively beating Wigan Athletic 4-0 at the Emirates, with impressive summer signing Vermaelen hitting a brace and Emmanuel Eboue and Cesc Fabregas also on the scoresheet, while Fulham lost 2-1 at Molineux to Wolves, Danny Murphy's 66th-minute penalty proving no more than a consolation.
FORM GUIDE
Fulham
23 Sept: Man City 2-1 Fulham
20 Sept: Wolves 2-1 Fulham
17 Sept: CSKA Sofia 1-1 Fulham
13 Sept: Fulham 2-1 Everton
30 Aug: Aston Villa 2-0 Fulham
Arsenal
22 Sept: Arsenal 2-0 West Brom
19 Sept: Arsenal 4-0 Wigan Athletic
16 Sept: Standard Liege 2-3 Arsenal
12 Sept: Man City 4-2 Arsenal
29 Aug: Man Utd 2-1 Arsenal
TEAM NEWS
Fulham
Hodgson will be without left back Paul Konchesky, who is recovering from a knee injury, and Toni Kallio, who is nursing an Achilles problem.
Last starting XI in Premier League: Schwarzer, Konchesky, Pantsil, Hangeland, Hughes, Murphy, Duff, Etuhu, Dempsey, A. Johnson, Zamora.
Arsenal
Andrey Arshavin is expected to return to action against Fulham following a groin injury, while Theo Walcott has covered from a back injury, trained all week and could feature, possibly from the bench. Robin van Persie was a doubt but is expected to pass a fitness test and to start on Saturday.
But Denilson (back), Johann Djourou (knee) and Samir Nasri (broken leg) are all missing, while goalkeeper Manuel Almunia is still out with a chest infection, so either Vito Mannone or Wojciech Szczesny will deputise.
Last Starting XI in Premier League: Mannone, Sagna, Vermaelen, Gallas, Clichy, Eboue, Diaby, Fabregas, Song, Eduardo, Van Persie.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Fulham
Brede Hangeland, who is expected to sign a new contract with Fulham in the near future, caught the eye last season with his consistent, towering performances – one of his biggest admirers appeared to be Arsene Wenger. But the Norwegian defender is happy at the Cottage and all the speculation appeared to irritate Hangeland, who may therefore have extra incentive to impose himself against the Gunners. Having scored the winner when Fulham beat Arsenal in the corresponding fixture last season, he could prove to be a handful at both ends of the pitch.
Arsenal
Few would have predicted that Thomas Vermaelen would be Arsenal's leading scorer so far, but the Belgian centre-back, signed from Ajax in the summer, has already hit four goals in eight games, providing a real bonus to his defensive play, which has been immense so far. Composed and comfortable on the ball, and excellent in the air, he has given the sceptics and doubters cause to eat their words, filling the gap vacated by Kolo Toure with aplomb and proving to be just the partner that William Gallas needed.
PREDICTION
Arsenal are the highest scorers away from home this term with nine goals from three games, although only Burnley (nine) have conceded more than their seven. Fulham have managed only two goals at home so far, and conceded three, so the signs could be ominous for the Cottagers. Neither side have been involved a Premier League draw as yet, and neither would particularly welcome one point on Saturday. However, with Wenger's side determined to prove that those two defeats in Manchester were an aberration, Fulham face a stern test.
Fulham 0-2 Arsenal
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