Prediction: Arsenal vs Fulham

Verdict: Bukayo Saka to score

Best odds: 3/2

Bookmaker: BetUS

Arsenal will host Fulham at the Emirates in another London Derby on Saturday, within round three of the 2023/24 season in the Premier League. It’s important for every team to make a good start to the campaign, so there’s obviously a lot to play for, and while the Gunners seek to improve on the title disappointment of last season, the Cottagers will be looking to do better as well.

Arsenal

Having led the race for the Premier League title for a majority of 2022/23, failures to grind out results in the final stretch of the race cost Arsenal dearly and allowed defending champions Manchester City not only to overtake them, but finish in relative comfort, five points ahead.

Since then, it is widely believed that the Gunners have done the right things in the transfer market by signing quality additions in every department: forward Kai Havertz from Chelsea, midfielder Declan Rice from West Ham, defender Jurrien Timber from Ajax, and goalkeeper David Raya from Brentford.

And if grinding out results was a problem for Mikel Arteta’s team at the end of last season, they seem to have improved significantly on that front with the start of 2023/24. The two victories in the two matches played so far, 2-1 at home against Nottingham Forest and 0-1 away to Crystal Palace, are fine examples of that, particularly the one at Selhurst Park when they held out under strong pressure towards the end, having been left with 10 men on the pitch after Tahekiro Tomiyasu picked up a most controversial second yellow card in the 67th minute.

Nonetheless, it remains to be seen if winning in such a way proves possible against stronger teams, with all due respect to Forest and Palace. Before October ends, they will face Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Chelsea, and then Newcastle in early November. Better performances will surely be needed in those games, but first, they have to make sure Fulham pull no surprises at the Emirates.

Team News

Arteta’s ranks will soon be boosted by the return of striker Gabriel Jesus from a knee injury. The Brazil international has already started training with the team, but his involvement on Saturday is not to be expected after the manager called for caution on that front.

Timber won’t be available for selection due to a knee injury and the date of his return is unknown, but it won’t be any time soon. The same goes for midfielder Mohamed Elneny. There will be no Folarin Balogun or Kieran Tierney, with the young striker set to join AS Monaco on a permanent deal, while the Scottish left-back goes to Spain to play for Real Sociedad on loan. Tomiyasu is, of course suspended.

Aaron Ramsdale should continue between the posts ahead of Raya for the time being. With Tomiyasu unavailable, Arteta is likely to reverse Ben White to the right defensive flank, with Oleksandr Zinchenko on the left, and Gabriel Magalhaes returning to the lineup beside William Saliba in the heart of defence. Thomas Partey would then be the man to make way, while Rice anchors the midfield with Havertz and Martin Odegaard in more advanced roles. Upfront, it’ll be Eddie Nketiah leading the line again, flanked by Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka.

Fulham

Much like Arteta at Arsenal, Marco Silva has sorted out quite a few things at Fulham, and his team finished 10th in the league. Though that in itself represents a good result for the Cottagers, their supporters will be a tad disappointed that they weren’t more seriously involved in the fight for European places.

Different problems arose for the club during the summer. Most notably, Aleksandar Mitrovic, their powerful hitman upfront, accepted an offer from Saudi Arabia and try as they might, Fulham just couldn’t get him to change his mind. They rejected all offers at first, but in the end, they wisely decided against keeping an unsatisfied player, and the Serbia international has already scored for Al-Hilal.

But Fulham played it smart and secured a replacement even before Mitrovic left, by signing Raul Jimenez from Wolverhampton Wanderers, along with winger Adama Traore on a free transfer. Around £20 million was spent on Calvin Bassey, who has come in from Ajax to boost Silva’s defensive ranks. They’ve also successfully repelled all interest in Joao Palhinha, though the transfer window remains open for the rest of the month.

The season started rather well for Fulham as the opening round yielded a 0-1 win away to Everton, but then they suffered a proper thrashing at the hands of Brentford at home by 0-3. They conceded the opening goal to Yoane Wissa in the 44th minute, then saw captain Tim Ream sent off with a second yellow card in the 64, and conceded a brace to Bryan Mbeumo (66′, 90+2′).

Team News

Like Tomiyasu for Arsenal, Ream is suspended for Fulham after his predicament in the previous game. The only injury concern troubling Silva at the moment is veteran winger Willian, whom the manager named as a doubt for this game.

Willian is, of course, a former Arsenal player, as is Bernd Leno, who will be standing between the posts against his ex-employers. Bassey is likely to come in and replace Ream alongside Issa Diop in the heart of defence, flanked by Kenny Tete and Antonee Robinson. Harrison Reed will partner Palhinha in the middle of the park, while the trio of Traore, Matheus Pereira and Bobby Decordova-Ried support Jimenez upfront.

Conclusion

Fulham are far from a bad side, but there’s nothing to really suggest they would be able to resist a determined Arsenal team at the Emirates.

Bukayo Saka scored against Forest, and the highly talented in-demand winger will likely turn up with the goods once more do the delight of the home supporters.

Verdict: Bukayo Saka to score

Best odds: 3/2

Bookmaker: BetUS