Arsenal will resume their 2024/25 Premier League season with a tricky fixture against Fulham at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, April 1.
The March international break has been a hugely frustrating time for fans of club football, with the campaign halted in the midst of a crucial period.
Supporters have been able to keep themselves occupied by playing Bally casino games online and will hopefully have boosted their bankroll ahead of Arsenal’s next game.
The Gunners are the bookmakers’ favourites to beat Fulham despite heading into the game with a plethora of injury concerns.
Winger Buyako Saka could be in contention for a place on the bench after recovering from a hamstring problem. His return would be a massive boost.
However, defenders Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber are doubtful after being sent home by their respective nations during the international break.
Kai Havertz will not play again this season after undergoing surgery on a hamstring injury, while Takehiro Tomiyasu and Gabriel Jesus are other long-term absentees.
Raheem Sterling will return to the squad after missing the last game against parent club Chelsea, but he will most likely be amongst the substitutes.
Reiss Nelson, Kenny Tete and Harry Wilson remain on the sidelines for Fulham, but the rest of their squad should be available for the trip across London.
Arsenal have traditionally dominated the head-to-head with Fulham, but the tide has turned a little in their last three meetings.
Fulham have won one and drawn two of the last three fixtures against Arsenal and will be eager to make life difficult for them at the Emirates.
They held the Gunners to a 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage in December, although the visitors were perhaps unfortunate not to take three points from that encounter.
Raul Jiminez put Fulham in front in the first half, but William Saliba equalised after the break. Saka then thought he had won the game for Arsenal, but the goal was disallowed for offside.
The Cottagers carried a counter-attacking threat throughout the match, and those tactics could prove dangerous in the reverse fixture.
Arsenal dominated their most recent game against Chelsea, but their lack of cutting edge was clear to see. They were wasteful in the attacking third and the Blues should have punished them.
This has been the theme of their season and a primary reason why they are 12 points behind table-topping Liverpool with nine games remaining.
Saka’s impending return will boost their attacking options, although it would be foolish to expect too much from him following a lengthy absence.
A victory over Fulham would place a little extra pressure on Liverpool, who are scheduled to face Everton at Anfield the following night.
The Gunners are still mathematically in the title race, but need to keep winning and hope that other teams do them some favours over the next few games.
Mikel Arteta’s side still have to visit Liverpool before the end of the season and that game could take on added importance if they can close the points gap.
With the upcoming fixture list favouring Arsenal, it would be unwise to rule out the possibility of them overhauling Liverpool on the run-in.
The Reds have been the standout team in the Premier League this term, but several of their recent performances have not been up to scratch.
If Arsenal can find a way to exert some additional pressure, there could still be some life left in the title race this season.