Arsenal host Fulham looking to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League.
Arsenal’s title charge has lost momentum in recent weeks, just when it seemed they might pull clear at the top. Manchester City have firmly re-entered the race, but a win on Saturday would see Arsenal move six points ahead, with City not in action until their trip to Everton on Monday.
Surging Fulham
Their opponents, Fulham, sit tenth in the table and boosted their hopes of securing European football next season with a 1–0 victory over Aston Villa last weekend.
Ahead of Saturday’s game, Fulham manager Marco Silva underlined the importance of this game in their season, but is under no illusions about the size of the challenge his side faces.
He said: “It’s a fight (for Europe) we are in the fight. If you win a game, confidence is boosted. Brentford game, we drew, I didn’t see anyone giving up after that in our meetings and all that stuff. It’s another very difficult game for us, there are three points to fight for, so we are going to fight.”
Doing Just Enough
Arsenal have been far from inspiring in recent weeks and must produce a more dynamic attacking display, with Fulham proving a tough side to break down, having lost just one of their last five league games.
While not entirely convincing, Arsenal secured a vital 1–0 home victory over Newcastle United last week, reclaiming top spot while Manchester City were in FA Cup action.
Arsenal’s most recent match, however, came in midweek in the Champions League semi-final, where they drew 1-1 away at Atlético Madrid, setting up a finely poised second-leg clash at the Emirates on Tuesday night.
Penalty controversy took the headlines, but Arsenal will fancy their chances of advancing to their first Champions League final in 20 years, having already beaten Atlético 4-0 at home, earlier in the season.
Fulham will be hoping Mikel Arteta’s side suffer something of a hangover from their trip to Madrid, in what was a physically and mentally draining game for Arsenal. However, Arsenal have no luxury of prioritising either competition, with both their Champions League run and Premier League title charge hanging in the balance.
Arteta said: “We always want more, we always want better, we want every action to be so positive. I know this is going to be such a special game. We know everyone has to be at it.”
Arsenal’s Injury Woes
Arsenal will be sweating on the fitness of captain Martin Ødegaard who hobbled off in the 58th minute of their clash with Atlético, in what has been an injury-ravaged season for the Norwegian.
Arteta said: “We’ll see how everyone feels on the morning of the match, We haven’t been able to train much. On Saturday, we’ll have the final update on the situation.”
Arteta confirmed that both Jurriën Timber and Kai Havertz will not feature this weekend. The Dutch defender has not featured since mid-March and has been a massive miss for Arsenal, though the manager is hopeful he will return soon.
However, the return of Bukayo Saka is a major boost, with the winger having featured in last week’s nail-biting victory over Newcastle and again coming off the bench for the final 20 minutes midweek.
Fulham Battered as Well
Silva is not without injury worries of his own, as he confirmed Fulham are set to be without a trio of players.
Key attacking midfielder Alex Iwobi misses the match with a thigh injury. The Nigerian international joined Arsenal at the age of eight but will not be making a return to the Emirates Stadium this Saturday. Brazilian winger Kevin and Englishman Ryan Sessegnon have also been ruled out for Fulham.
Right-back Kenny Tete could return however, as Silva said: “we will have to see how he reacts from the last two sessions. He can probably be involved in the game.”
Arsenal Must Deliver
Every match is now effectively a must-win for Arsenal, and victory on Saturday would go some way to showing their fans that they are ready for the run-in and determined not to falter at the crucial stage, as they have been accused of in recent seasons.
Although Arteta’s side would move six points clear with a win, Manchester City are still holding two games in hand. They would still know the title race remains finely poised with three games left for Arsenal.
Fulham will not be on the beach, however, with this game potentially carrying significant implications for both the title race and the battle for European places.
