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Arsenal vs Fulham preview, team news, line-ups & prediction

By on August 24, 2023

Arsenal will be looking to maintain their winning run when they take on Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday (26 August) at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners – who finished second in the Premier League last season behind Manchester City – are heading into this game on the back of a 1-0 win against London rivals Crystal Palace on Monday night at Selhurst Park.

Fulham, on the other hand, have picked up one win already. They defeated Everton in their opening game but lost 3-0 against Brentford in their previous game.

The London derby is expected to be a cracking game between the two sides, but the Gunners hold an advantage at home. Fans are still trying to buy tickets for the game on Seatsnet.com as they anticipate an exciting game at the Emirates and another vital three points.

Arsenal preview 

After coming second best in the league last season, the Gunners have added depth and quality to their side during the summer.

Declan Rice joined from London rivals West Ham for a club-record transfer fee and he has already made a strong impact.

Kai Havertz joined from another London rivals Chelsea and the German international is expected to weave the magic that he failed to produce during his time at Stamford Bridge.

In defence, Mikel Arteta bolstered the centre-back area by signing Jurrien Timber who can also play as a right-back. He has joined from Ajax. David Raya has joined from Brentford from on loan.

After coming second best in the league last season, the Gunners have added depth and quality to their side during the summer.

Declan Rice joined from London rivals West Ham for a club-record transfer fee and he has already made a strong impact.

Kai Havertz joined from another London rivals Chelsea and the German international is expected to weave the magic that he failed to produce during his time at Stamford Bridge.

In defence, Mikel Arteta bolstered the centre-back area by signing Jurrien Timber who can also play as a right-back. He has joined from Ajax.

David Raya has joined from Brentford from on loan.

The new players will need time to get integrated into the side and we probably won’t see Arsenal playing at their flamboyant best in the early stages.

It is also important to get off to a good start in the league, and getting points on board, irrespective of performance, will boost confidence.

In the first game of the season, the Gunners were looking comfortable for a victory when they went 2-0 up at the break. Nottingham Forest came with a strong reply in the second half and pulled one back through Taiwo Awoniyi.

Against Crystal Palace, the Gunners found it hard to click gears. Takehiro Tomiyasu also picked up a contentious red card that didn’t help.

Martin Odegaard propelled Arsenal into the lead but the red card (two bookings in the space of seven minutes) resulted in a nervy ending.

Nevertheless, they managed to grind out all three points, and have become only one of the three teams to open the new Premier League campaign with two wins in a row.

Arteta will be pleased to find that the victory at Selhurst Park ended a four-game losing streak on Monday nights as he masterminded his side’s 200th clean sheet on the road.

Arsenal team news 

After picking up a red card in the previous game, full-back Tomiyasu will miss the game against the Cottagers. He will join Timber – who has picked up an ACL injury – on the absentee list.

Gabriel Jesus – who missed a chunk of action last season – is struggling with a knee injury. Folarin Balogun who has been targeted by Fulham could also miss this game with a foot injury.

Albert SSambi Lokonga is struggling with a muscular problem, but he is unlikely to stay at the club before the end of the window.

Arteta will be boosted by the return of Oleksandr Zinchenko who is back to full fitness. He can move straight into the side in place of Tomiyasu.

Kieran Tierney is also another option for the Spaniard who has made it clear that the former Celtic player remains part of his plans.

Fulham preview: 

It has been a relatively quiet transfer window for the Cottagers.

The Cottagers have sold the likes of Paulo Gazzaniga, Ivan Cavaleiro, Joe Bryan, and Shane Duffy on free transfer but the biggest blow has been the loss of Aleksandar Mitrovic.

The 28-year-old striker joined Saudi side Al-Hilal on a big-money transfer. He has been an integral part of the side in recent years, and losing him is a massive blow.

Marco Silva is now drawing up options to sign a new striker, and they must do it quickly.

Can Raul Jimenez fill Mitrovic’s boots? The 32-year-old joined from Wolves this summer, but he hasn’t been at his best in the past two season. A new club and a change in scenario probably can get him firing again.

Fulham surprised everyone when they signed Calvin Bassey this summer. He joined Ajax last summer but it became very clear that he was completely out of depth. It’s strange really that the Cottagers paid a handsome fee to get him.

Traore on a free transfer looks like a cracking signing. The 27-year-old is an experienced Premier League winger, but he needs to show that he is more than just a sprint runner.

They have done well to keep hold of Palhinha in the side, and if they can add a few more players before the end of the window, the Cottagers can expect to replicate the performance of last season.

Silva’s side have already picked up a win away from home, and they will be looking to get a positive result this weekend against their London rivals.

Fulham team news: 

For Fulham, Calvin Bassey is likely to start alongside Issa Diop after Tim Ream picked up a red card against Brentford.

Apart from that, they don’t have other selection concerns for this game. Joao Palhinha could return from should injury while Adama Traore could be considered for his full-time Premier League debut.

Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Rice, Havertz; Saka, Nketiah, Martinelli

Fulham possible starting lineup:
Leno; Tete, Diop, Bassey, Robinson; Reed, Palhinha; Traore, Pereira, Decordova-Reid; Jimenez

Prediction: It is hard to predict the outcome of a London derby, but considering the fact that the Gunners have momentum, expect them to grab a 3-1 win at home.