Much of the build-up to this afternoon’s London derby has focused on a host of Fulham players who might have a point to prove against Arsenal in front of the television cameras at Craven Cottage. Where the Whites might have recruited very well over the last couple of years as they seek to break into the top half of the Premier League, Marco Silva’s focus will be more on building on the momentum generated by a creditable point at Tottenham followed by an excellent win over an impressive Brighton and Hove Albion as they attempt to repeat last season’s home success against Mikel Arteta’s title chasers.
Both sides will want to build on strong midweek results. Whilst Fulham, inspired by a terrific double from Alex Iwobi, overcome Brighton, Arsenal produced a workmanlike performance to see off Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium. Whereas the Gunners had been scoring goals for fun against Nottingham Forest and Sporting Lisbon, Arteta’s side had to patient against Reuben Almiron’s side – with United eventually becoming the latest side to succumb to Arsenal’s set-piece supremacy. That element of Arsenal’s excellence – with the Gunners having found the net 22 times from corners alone this season – will be a stern test of Fulham’s defensive resolution today, especially as Silva’ side have looked vulnerable from set-plays all season and are still wating for a home clean sheet this term.
It isn’t as if the Gunners aren’t a real threat from open play with their sparkling football being one of the highlights since Arteta took over from another underappreciated manager in the shape of Unai Emery. Shackling Arsenal’s creative hubs, such as the tremendously talented and influential Norwegian Martin Oodegard, the energetic Gabriel Martinelli and the enduring excellence of Bukayo Saka, who has mustered seven goals and seven assists in his past fourteen London derbies, will be crucial – although there has to be an acknowledgement that keeping a side such as Arsenal quiet throughout the ninety minutes is probably impossible.
Arteta will hand late fitness tests to defenders Gabriel and Riccardo Calafiori, who missed the midweek success against Manchester United. Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu are nursing longer-term injuries and won’t be making the trip to Craven Cottage. Arsenal have cut the gap to Liverpool to seven points and will be desperate to try and reduce that gap at the top of the table even further after the Merseyside derby was postponed due to the dangerous weather conditions yesterday.
Silva’s selection headaches continue after Reiss Nelson injured his hamstring just seconds before he was due to be substituted against Brighton on Thursday night. The winger would have been ineligible to face his parent club today in any case and, whilst Serbian international Sasa Lukic returns from suspension to give the Whites another option in midfield, skipper Tom Cairney serves the second game of his three-match ban and Joachim Andersen and Harrison Reed are still sidelined by injury.
You would expect the likes of Kenny Tete and Raul Jimenez, who were rested on Thursday, to be recalled to the starting line-up this afternoon, whilst the pace and power of Adama Traore, who has been a substitute of late, seems made for frightening an impressive Arsenal rearguard.
MY FULHAM XI (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, A. Robinson, Diop, Bassey; Berge, Lukic; Traore, Iwobi, Smith Rowe; Jimenez. Subs: Benda, Castagne, R. Sessegnon, Cuenca, King, Pereira, Wilson, Muniz, Vinicius.
