Arsenal will host Fulham at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, hoping to maintain their 100 per cent winning start to the new season and move to the top of the Premier League table.
The Gunners beat Nottingham Forest 2-1 during the opening weekend of the new season before scraping past Crystal Palace 1-0 at Selhurst Park on Monday evening. Despite being reduced to ten men after Takehiro Tomiyasu’s second yellow card, the players held their nerves and earned three valuable points.
Back at home, Mikel Arteta’s side will be favourites against Fulham, who head to the Emirates Stadium off the back of a 3-0 home defeat to Brentford.
Arsenal Team News
Arsenal forward Gabriel Jesus is available to play after recovering from a knee problem that required a minor operation.
Back to it tomorrow 👊 pic.twitter.com/26Yd0F5hr5
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 25, 2023
Takehiro Tomiyasu is banned for picking up two yellow cards against Crystal Palace on Monday, while Reiss Nelson and Mohammed Elneny are injured. Jurrien Timber is potentially out for the season after suffering a major knee injury against Nottingham Forest on the opening day.
Predicted Arsenal lineup vs Fulham (4-3-3)
Goalkeeper
Aaron Ramsdale should keep his place in the Arsenal lineup. He will be aiming to keep back-to-back clean sheets in the Premier League, knowing well that he cannot ill-afford to make any mistakes with David Raya waiting in the wings.
Defence
Mikel Arteta will be forced to make a change in defence from Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Crystal Palace on Monday after Takehiro Tomiyasu’s red card. Oleksandr Zinchenko is likely to take Tomiyasu’s place at left-back having made the bench on Monday after a period out injured.
Predicted 4-3-3 Arsenal Lineup vs Fulham
William Saliba and Ben White will again form the central defensive partnership, with Thomas Partey expected to continue at right-back after back-to-back impressive displays. This means Gabriel Magalhaes will again have to be satisfied with a spot on the bench.
Midfield
Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard will once again form Arsenal’s midfield unit. Rice will hold the midfield, allowing both Havertz and Odegaard to operate as advanced playmakers and create openings in the final third. Even though Havertz was underwhelming against Palace, Arteta is expected to stick with the German in the Arsenal lineup.
Jorginho and Emile Smith Rowe should provide cover for midfield positions from the bench.
Attack
Gabriel Jesus is ready to make his first appearance of the season after recovering from knee injury but he is unlikely to start the game against Fulham, with Eddie Nketiah having done a good job in his absence. Nketiah will likely continue to lead the Arsenal attack flanked by Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, leaving Jesus on the bench.
The front three of Saka, Nketiah and Martinelli possess a lot of quality to cause serious problems for the Fulham defence. Like Jesus, Leandro Trossard will be another offensive weapon available on the bench on Saturday.
