Fulham vs Arsenal

Craven Cottage forms the backdrop for an all-London Premier League showdown between bottom-half Fulham and title-bidding Arsenal.

Fulham’s unfathomable dip in form means they’ll finish 2023 in the Premier League bottom half regardless of the outcome at Craven Cottage. After posting back-to-back 5-0 home league wins, Marco Silva’s men have lost their last three top-flight outings without scoring. Their dismal run of form culminated in midweek Premier League action as they slumped to a 3-0 defeat at Bournemouth, falling seven points below the upper half of the standings. While Fulham can draw confidence from holding Arsenal to a spirited 2-2 draw in the reverse fixture in August, it’s worth noting they’ve lost their last five H2Hs on home turf via a combined score of 15-2, conceding 3+ goals on four occasions. Moreover, the ‘Cottagers’ have suffered five defeats ‘to nil’ across the last seven Premier League London derbies they’ve hosted (W1, D1).

On the other hand, Arsenal’s bid to lift their first Premier League title in two decades took a massive hit in midweek league action as West Ham won 2-0 at the Emirates, condemning Mikel Arteta’s side to a third winless league match in four (D1, L2). Goals have been at a premium for the ‘Gunners’ in that run, with a 2-0 home win against Brighton the only time they scored more than once. It’s equally concerning on the road, where the north London giants are winless in their last three competitive matches (D2, L1), netting under 1.5 goals on each occasion. Conceding first would, therefore, throw Arsenal’s hopes of winning into significant doubt. Adding to this sentiment, they’ve failed to complete a fightback in any of their three away league games after falling behind this season (D1, L2).