Premier League table-toppers Arsenal travel to Fulham for a crunch London Derby that is more often than not a high-scoring game in previous encounters.  

Fulham seek a morale-boosting result to end the year against Mikel Arteta’s side who have raced to the top of the league standings. Although Fulham are regular victims of Arsenal’s, they ended their long losing streak against them with an impressive 2-2 draw at the Emirates last time out.

Now, they host the Gunners hoping to upset their opponents. 

Fulham have been lukewarm so far this term with the late departure of Aleksandar Mitrovic upsetting the balance of their squad and leaving a considerable goalscoring void.

The 2023/24 season ended with a 1-0 win at Everton. Still, they fell to Brentford before gaining some pride via Joao Palhinha’s late equalizer against Arsenal despite having Calvin Bassey sent off. 

Manchester City thrashed Marco Silva’s men 5-1 at the Etihad Stadium then they beat Luton next time out. There was only one win and two draws from the following seven league games as alarm bells started ringing, but Fulham got the better of Wolves 3-2 thanks to Willian’s 94th-minute penalty. 

The Cottagers were similarly emphatic in the next game and were ten minutes away from another famous win at Liverpool before the Reds turned around the result to win 4-3. Fulham are playing with more vigor, which bodes well for them in the intense run of fixtures in December.

They can get a result on any given day but Fulham will be wary against Arsenal, having failed to beat them in their last 11 matches, dating back to 2012. 

The Gunners, on their part, are more mature and unequivocally focused on ending their Premier League title drought at the end of this season. 

The domestic season’s curtain-raiser brought silverware as Arsenal defeated Manchester City on penalties in the Community Shield. The league campaign started with a hard-fought 2-1 victory at home to Nottingham Forest. 

There were six wins and three draws from the next nine games as they stayed unbeaten in the league. However, a very controversial game at Newcastle brought about their first defeat as Anthony Gordon’s winning goal arguably should not have stood. 

Arsenal have remained resilient and determined despite that setback since beating Burnley, Brentford, and Wolves. They have indeed won some incredible games this term by improving concentration levels and mental strength, which was when Declan Rice’s 97th-minute goal decided a 4-3 thriller at Luton Town.  

The confidence has been building for quite some time now as Arsenal consistently show their title credentials weekly. They will be unfazed by any opposition but know this is a crucial period of the season which could make or mar their chances of competing towards the tail-end of the campaign. 

Hence, another professional job will be required at Fulham.

Match tickets

This match takes place on the very last day of the year with kick-off set for 2 PM UK time. Millions of people worldwide are keen on Arsenal’s progress in the title race so this game will hold lots of interest. Match tickets are a hot commodity since they are available on each club’s website. 

Craven Cottage should be packed to the rafters, considering it is a London Derby so the atmosphere would be really special on the ground. Because the Gunners are protecting their title hopes, many away fans will also make the short trip.  

Supporters who want to purchase Fulham vs Arsenal tickets may not find any available via official sources but may be lucky to buy one on a ticket release website. 

Team news

Issa Diop, Rodrigo Muniz as well and Adama Traore have all been injured for Fulham but each of them is expected to make a return soon so they could be involved against the league leaders.

Arsenal’s list of absentees is a bit more problematic as Fabio Vieira won’t be in contention until the end of January after undergoing an operation on a groin injury. Thomas Partey also had surgery on a thigh injury and is estimated to return in the New Year.

Meanwhile, Emile Smith Rowe is nursing a knee complaint but should be back soon with question marks over whether he can be ready for the Fulham game. One man who is ruled out is Jurrien Timber with the Dutchman making steady progress from an ACL injury. 

Line-ups

Fulham are struggling for balance in the attacking department and the lack of a clinical goalscorer could haunt them against one of the best teams in the division.  

Yet, they will prioritize staying compact in a defensive shape and look to hurt Arsenal with lightning-quick counters.

Fulham: Leno; Tete, Bassey, Ream, Robinson; Reed, Palhinha; De Cordova-Reid, Pereira, Willian; Jimenez

Arteta has worked with a stable team that has played many Premier League games together. With that in mind, there would be few rotations to the side except for instances of injury.  

Kai Havertz has stepped up in recent weeks with essential goals against Brentford, Lens, and Luton; he should continue his run in the side as he gives the Gunners a presence in both boxes. 

Arsenal: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Rice, Havertz; Martinelli, Saka, Jesus

Prediction

Arsenal top the table having recorded seven of their 11 league wins by a single-goal margin, heavily relying on late winning strikes after the 85th minute four times already this term.

The hosts are one of the league’s lowest scorers with 16 strikes from 14 matches which means Arsenal must get their goals early and manage the game. Arteta’s men have spread the goalscoring all over the pitch this term and they are more likely to grab a couple of goals against a side that has failed to keep a clean sheet in their last ten games in all competitions. 

Arsenal 2-0 Fulham