Arsenal have made a few changes to their starting lineup for the game against Fulham on New Year’s Eve with Oleksandr Zinchenko missing out on the squad altogether.

Ahead of Arsenal’s final game of 2023, Mikel Arteta has brought in Jakub Kiwior to replace Oleksandr Zinchenko, Eddie Nketiah starts in place of Gabriel Jesus, and Kai Havertz returns after his suspension at the expense of Leandro Trossard.

After announcing the team, Arsenal confirmed that Zinchenko is suffering from a ‘slight calf’ problem which ruled him out of the squad. This injury news comes alongside the update that Takehiro Tomiyasu returned to the bench after his own calf issue.

Arsenal team to face Fulham:

Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior, Rice, Havertz, Odegaard, Saka, Martinelli, Nketiah

Bench: Ramsdale, Cedric, Tomiyasu, Jorginho, Elneny, Smith Rowe, Nelson, Trossard, Jesus

Arsenal have managed to win their last five Premier League matches at Fulham, scoring three or more goals in the last four of those games. This kind of scoring streak in consecutive away games against a single opponent is a rare feat for Arsenal, which they last achieved against Aston Villa in the 1930s.

In terms of ending the year on a positive note, Arsenal’s track record is impressive. They have won their final league game in 12 of the past 16 years, including winning the last three in a row.

Last season, they beat Brighton 4-2 on New Year’s Eve, and they’re set to play on December 31st for the second consecutive year, which is unusual for them.

On the other hand, Fulham, after a couple of big wins earlier in the month, have hit a rough patch, losing their last three Premier League games without scoring. This losing streak without finding the back of the net is something they haven’t experienced since 1971.