Fulham’s last two matches have been tough defeats, and it doesn’t get easier for them as they take on league leaders Arsenal after the international break.
The last two league matches for Marco Silva’s side have seen them take the lead, but then lose, with both scorelines ending 3-1.
Their capitulation against Bournemouth was not good, especially with Fulham taking the lead as late as the 70th minute.
Up next is Arsenal, but Fulham can definitely cause an upset against the Gunners if they win their key battles.
One of these battles will be down the right flank. Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka is fully fit and scored a penalty last time out when they faced West Ham. Fulham’s key player and left-back Antonee Robinson still hasn’t been able to fully recover from his injury struggles and was unable to feature against Bournemouth due to fitness issues, but if he can start against Arsenal, then Fulham would feel like he can nullify the threat of Saka.
Robinson was seen as one of the best full-backs in the league last season, so Silva needs him fully fit and back to his best as soon as possible.
One big issue for Fulham currently is their lack of attacking options up front. Both strikers are currently injured, with Raul Jimenez hoping to be back for Arsenal, whilst Rodrigo Muniz may not be able to return until November.
The international break has come at a perfect time for Fulham as it gives injured players a couple more weeks to return and also gives Silva some time to reflect over their last two matches.
Being at Craven Cottage for this upcoming match is a huge positive for Fulham. They are undefeated against Arsenal at home in their last two games, winning one and drawing one. This will give Silva and the team some much-needed confidence despite recent performances.
If Fulham are to keep this undefeated streak against Arsenal alive then the defence, and in particular Joachim Andersen and Calvin Bassey, are going to have to be at their best as they face an attack full of goals and quality. Summer signings Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze may not have scored as many goals as they would have wanted for the Gunners, but they have added a lot of strength to Mikel Arteta’s frontline and have been key to the side being top of the Premier League.
Liverpool’s recent struggles mean Arsenal are now favourites to win the Premier League, but Fulham are undefeated at Craven Cottage this season, with two wins and a draw, and they will be hoping to cause an upset.
Fulham are currently 14th and they really need to start picking up points soon if they want to battle for a top half finish this season.
They have the squad to meet their targets this campaign, and after their recent defeats, they need to produce a strong performance against Arsenal to prove that they can compete with the teams battling above them this season.
Join the discussion