Hello and how are you? Saturday the 18th of October will see The Arsenal haul its artillery over to Craven Cottage, west London and play against Fulham FC. Kick off is 18.30pm Central European time (5.30pm local time). Expected weather is 14°C, partly cloudy and 1% chance of rain.
Well its great to be back!
Fulham have an air of grollen about them with their manager Marco Silva unhappy with the manner in which the club did its transfer business in the summer (deadline day supermarket sweep?) and feels the team still haven’t clicked- something exacerbated perhaps by the stop start nature of international and club football clashing? However knowing the talent Fulham are facing Mr. Silva might well start with three centre-backs against us?
At the time of writing (Thursday eve) Zubimendi and Ben White aren’t looking too healthy, either watching from the sidelines or missing in training but who knows come Saturday? We haven’t won on our last two visits to the Cottage, and now we’ve nudged ahead as league leaders, games like this one are a must win (which game isn’t?). However, our last three games have banished a few lingering curses…time for a fourth.
This time last year we had a point extra and were in third, yet the later autumn has often proved difficult with many potential league challenges falling apart as the clocks change (we only took two points from twelve from this point last season) and we head into the darkness. But with a new strong squad we go into this match having lost only one in ten and have only let in three goals, and our winning streak is four games.
Calafiori is on three yellows already and is hovering around a potential suspension, so maybe Hincapie might play (having recovered from his groin injury) in his place, and perhaps Gabriel might even be rested for this one?
Havertz (knee) and Jesus (knee) are expected back in December. Noni’s (knee) also out for the long-term. Martin Ø’s out for about a month (also knee) after coming off against West Ham.
The Cottagers are missing Sasa Lukic (groin), Samuel Chukwueze, Raul Jimenez (hip) Kenny Tete (knee) and Rodrigo Muniz (thigh), but ex-Gunners Emile Smith Rowe, Alex Iwobi and Bernd Leno are all fit.
Fulham FC this season are: 14th W 2 D 2 L 3 F 8 A 11. They lost 3-1 to Bournemouth last time out in the PL (despite leading) but are still going strong in the League Cup. Fulham are unbeaten at the Cottage this season.
The Statto boys sent over a carrier pigeon from the frontlines with the following note attached: Fulham have been given 16.4% win probability and Arsenal 61.1% chance. Next up Atletico in the CL. So COYG!
Mills
A nice little sprint to the next International break will do us nicely. By then our players missing with knobbed knees will be back, giving us even more depth and options.
I believe our defence is the best in the league, the attack , when the hardly walking brigade reeturn, is more than adequate but I thought our midfield was lacking. However, that was before I realised just how good Zubimendi is and Merino is also better than the average player I had him down as.
So as things stand, that can change because I’m a fickle old git, I’m really looking forward to what come next.
Enjoy the game folks.
Pedantic George.
Positively Arsenal 
Good Preview Mills/George.
This is yet another side we have struggled against in recent seasons. Considering how few teams we have had problems with over the last few seasons it is amazing the start the fixture list has thrown up, almost as if it has been handpicked. There is also another shit set of officials put up by Pigmol again today.
Years back November and February were black months, however we seem to have overturned that recently. Nonetheless the run of games up until the next interlull are very important.
Obviously every game is important but as Mikel says if you divide sets of games into blocks, this is an important block.
Fulham are a ball playing team, and we normally do well against those types of sides, but their Wylie old fox of a manager worked this out and set up with a block and rush style more accustomed to what we would see at home than away.
We have, in the past, labourered to break down such tactics but our squad seems to have more weapons in its ARSENAL (if you would excuse the pun) this season. Which is why we are getting three points from sides from which we previously didn’t.
I heard Jimenez is fit but I don’t know. Him and the ex-ARSENAL brigade are dangerous, most notably Alex Iwobi, who has developed into the sublime player we all knew he could be. I am surprised he is still at Fulham to be honest.
As I said we have moved on since the players (however good they were) were at the club and the squad is the best we have probably ever seen at our nearly 150 year old club.
Another new addition may make an appearance today and the quality of replacements we can call apon for injured or well travelled players is frightening.
Difficult game but I’m expecting a close win COYG.
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Thanks Ian, nice post! COYG!
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Arsenal: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Rice, Eze, Zubimendi, Saka, Trosssard, Gyokeres.
Substitutes: Kepa, Lewis-Skelly, Mosquera, White, Norgaard, Nwaneri, Merino, Dowman, Martinelli.
Fulham: Leno, Castagne, Andersen, Cuenca, Sessegnon, Berge, Cairney, Wilson, King, Iwobi, Raul.
Substitues: Lecomte, Tete, Diop, Reed, Bassey, Smith Rowe, Adama, Kevin, Kushi-Asare
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Calafiori goal ruled out for offside
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HT: Fulham 0-0 Arsenal
what a borefest
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Trossard makes it 1-0 to the Arsenal, he knocks in a flick on at a corner
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https://x.com/i/status/1979607401054568834
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Penalty to Arsenal, being checked by VAR
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Anthony Taylor trying to find a way to overturn his decision
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No Penalty
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a while ago Merino came on for Eze, who didn’t have a great game
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bad miss by Gyokeres
Trossard off, Martinelli on
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9 minutes of stoppage time to be played
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Gyokeres off, Norgaard on,
about 3 minutes left to play
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FT: Fulham 0-1 Arsenal
Trossard with the only goal of a less than impressive game. Arsenal the better of the two teams, and AFC top of the league.
5th win in a row in all competitions
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Never in doubt, but a tough watch. A few of ours didnt have their best games, and a tough team to break down, so maybe that pesky international break played its part.
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And it was an appalling VAR intervention. Score that, and we’d have probably run out 3-0 winners and the chat would be different. Fair play to the Ref, who i thought had a good game, but its the behind the scenes involvement that worries me.
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Eze is a lovely player, but it will take him a few more games to get used to having no space. I am sure he will adjust. I am less sure about Gyokeres, as he looks an untidy player with a weak first touch. Hope he proves me wrong.
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I thought the ref carried on his consistent uselessness.
Apart from not having the balls to stick with his original decision on yge Saka pen he also missed another three.
However, the thing that actually matters more in these games is the little decisions and as the game wore on he got worse and worse.
This was a definite “the refs left his cards at home” game and that helped Fulham massively and stopped our fluency.
Having already sent off Rice and Merino maybe we should see this as a “good” game.
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I did think we started slowly yesterday. Knowing Fulham, like many sides, will not give you time on the ball, it was important to move the ball quickly with one and two touch football to break their lines and not get caught out.
I can’t really think of any of our team who had a good game, by their own high standards, so to pick out Eze seems a bit harsh. He was either operating just in front of the CB’s or in a standard ten and neither seem to work in this game.
They eventually give the MOTM to Saka, but even he was bang average and looked knackered in the last twenty minutes and really should of been hauled.
I still think Gyokeres will come good. He gets through an amazing amount of work can sprint even late into the game. Judging by the amount of runs he makes I think its note about the team not finding him at the moment and that we be resolved.
The main thing about yesterday was we didn’t play well, Fulham defended deep and fouled us alot, pigmol were up to their old tricks but despite all of this we found a way to win. That was the thing that was truely impressive.
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Think ive fallen in love with Harry Maguire’s forehead.
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Before we bought Gykores I had my reservations, mainly his back to goal and linkup play. Not really worried about him scoring goals as we played 2 midfielders as strikers (Havertz, Merinio) and both bagged goals at a decent rate.
My main worry is his inability to link the play outside the box and with his back to goal.
He is not great at either and I lost it a bit when I see him battling and losing duels with Ryan Sessengnon!
Havertz is going to be 1st choice when he gets back if he can get back to pre knee injury form. Gykores will be a good back up when we need something different.
Out of all our forward options he might have the most powerful strike but his composure is lacking at the moment, his linkup play and back to goal is really bad.
He is looking like 3rd choice behind a fit Havertz and Jesus.
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George, sent the preview over mate. COYG!
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It’s up.
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