Match Preview: Fulham vs Arsenal
We head to Craven Cottage as we take on Fulham in our second successive away Premier League London derby.
With both teams coming off midweek successes, this match promises to be an exciting prospect.
Two second-half goals ensured a vital win over old foes Manchester United in the league on Wednesday night, while we gained ground on Liverpool, who were held to a thrilling 3-3 draw by Newcastle in Tyneside.
The Cottagers secured a 3-1 victory over Brighton on Thursday night, putting them in sixth place prior to the weekend's games. Marco Silva will be looking to achieve his best-ever finish in the Premier League with the club.
Flourishing Fulham
Following an opening-day defeat at Old Trafford, the Cottagers responded with 11 points from their next five games, setting the tone for their season.
Ex-Gunners Alex Iwobi and Emile Smith Rowe have been among Fulham's top performers this season, with Iwobi netting a brace against Brighton on Thursday. He'll be eager to continue his fine form against his boyhood club on Sunday. It will be the first time former Arsenal number ten Smith Rowe faces his old club since his summer move.
English winger Reiss Nelson has also made a notable impact at Fulham since joining on loan in the summer. However, he will be ineligible to play on Sunday as we are his parent club.
Last time out at Craven Cottage
It was a New Year's Eve to forget as we lost 2-1 to Fulham and ended the year in fourth place.
We took the lead in the 5th minute through Bukayo Saka. Martinelli's effort was parried into Saka's path, and he managed to find the net.
However, just 25 minutes later, we were caught on the break as Tom Cairney's excellent first-time pass found Raul Jimenez, who fired home.
The game remained level until just before the 60th minute. A scramble in the box following a corner caused all sorts of problems, and the ball eventually fell to De Cordova-Reid, who finished into the roof of the net.
This was Fulham's first win against us since January 2012.
What the managers say
Mikel Arteta:
On Fulham: "It's going to be a big challenge which we experienced last year when we lost five points against them. I have been very complimentary about them, the coach and what they do, so it's always a really tough place to go."
On Fulham's ex-Arsenal contingent: "I'm really happy for them. Reiss [Nelson] is still one of our own but the rest as well, and it will be great to see them"
Marco Silva:
On why Arsenal won't be taking them lightly: "No-one surprises anyone in the Premier League no more. You know how Mikel and the Arsenal team respect everybody in this competition, they know that it's really tough to play and win games at this level."
On the short turnaround between their game in midweek: "It's not the best scenario, it's not going to be an excuse for us. Yes, Arsenal is going to be more rested by 24 hours than us.
Team News
Riccardo Calafiori and Gabriel were absentees from our 2-0 triumph over Manchester United on Wednesday night.
The boss said, "We have another training session, so we'll see how everybody is for Sunday."
On a positive note, Thomas Partey and Mikel Merino returned to the squad against United after being sidelined for the West Ham match.
Fulham's Sasa Lukic missed the Brighton clash due to an accumulation of yellow cards, but he will be available for Sunday's encounter.
Tom Cairney still has two games to serve after his red card against Spurs last weekend.
Joachim Andersen and Harrison Reid remain out as they continue to recover from their injuries.
Statistics and Facts
Bukayo Saka has been directly involved in 14 goals across his last 14 London derby matches in the Premier League (7 goals, 7 assists).
Our 30 goals from set-pieces are the most by any side in the competition since the start of last season.
We are undefeated in our last eight London derbies, winning seven, since our defeat to Fulham in our final match of 2023.
Fulham are unbeaten in their last eight league London derbies (W4, D4), their longest such run since a nine-match streak between February 2000 and September 2001. That streak, however, was ended by a 3-1 home defeat to the Gunners.
For the first time in his managerial career, Marco Silva will be looking to secure back-to-back wins against us.
The Cottagers have never won consecutive league games against us in their history.
Match Officials
Chris Kavanagh will take charge of our match against Fulham.
The Manchester-born referee has officiated one of our matches this season – our 1-1 home draw with Brighton, in which he controversially sent off Declan Rice. He has yet to referee a Fulham match this season.
Kavanagh has handed out four red cards in nine Premier League games so far this season and averages over six cards per match.
Referee: Chris Kavanagh
Assistants: Darren Cann, Simon Long
Fourth Official: Andy Madley
VAR: John Brooks
Assistant VAR: Derek Eaton