League leaders Arsenal will try to increase their lead on the prime of the Premier League desk as they journey to a Fulham aspect aiming for a 3rd successive house win.
BBC Sport examines a few of the key themes earlier than Saturday’s recreation at Craven Cottage.
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Can Arsenal proceed profitable run?
Arsenal have received their previous 4 video games and start this spherical of fixtures prime of the Premier League and with a run of matches that might give them the chance to cement their standing as leaders of the competitors.
The two-0 triumph towards final trip was sufficient to maneuver above and the Gunners have misplaced to simply as soon as towards Fulham up to now 14 Premier League conferences.
After the going through the Cottagers, Arsenal tackle on the Emirates, having misplaced solely certainly one of their final 18 London Premier League derbies, earlier than travelling to promoted and
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Arsenal then host who they haven’t misplaced to on house soil in practically seven years.
Alternative is knocking for Mikel Arteta’s to start their tilt at a primary title since 2004 in earnest, beginning with a visit to Craven Cottage.
Fourth time fortunate?
The Gunners have completed runners-up up to now three seasons below Arteta and the victory over West Ham on 4 October was his three hundredth Premier League recreation on the helm, and his 177th win.
It means the 43-year-old ranks fourth amongst all English top-flight managers for wins in his opening 300 video games with a membership. Nonetheless, Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho and Sir Kenny Dalglish had received at the very least 5 main trophies by that time, whereas Arteta’s solitary silverware of actual significance stays the 2020 FA Cup.
[BBC]
Arsenal’s new emphasis on counter-attack
So as to enhance that document, Arsenal have various their ways to this point this season.
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Set-plays and corners are nonetheless a super-strength, however Arteta has applied a better concentrate on counter-attacks with a purpose to make his aspect extra sturdy.
They’ve recorded 14 phases of counter-attacking play within the Premier League in 2025-26 – essentially the most of any aspect.
Final time period, the Gunners ranked seventeenth for counter-attacks, with simply 47 in the entire of the marketing campaign, and the change in method has helped Arsenal to limit their opponents to fewer than 10 pictures of their previous six Premier League video games.
Iwobi Fulham’s key participant
Fulham, in the meantime, come into this fixture going through the prospect of shedding three successive Premier League matches for the primary time in practically three years, following defeats at and conceding three targets on every event.
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Marco Silva’s aspect, nonetheless, stay robust at house and have received their previous two league outings at Craven Cottage.
Fulham might keep away from shedding any of their opening 4 house matches of a league season for the primary time since 2011-12 and Alex Iwobi has been key to their success to this point this season.
The previous Arsenal midfielder has made eight line-breaking passing into the opposition’s penalty space on this season’s Premier League, together with 4 which created probabilities.
Each tallies are second solely to Bruno Fernandes.