Prediction: Arsenal vs Fulham

25th November 2011

The two sides enter the London derby in completely different mood and with that in mind, I can see only one outcome here. After five straight wins Arsenal have finally closed the gap behind the leading sides and the Gunners are now hoping to extend the impressive run, whereas Fulham need to show a massive improvement if they are to avoid defeat at the Emirates.

The start to the season was always going to be difficult for Arsenal given that they had stayed without key players Fabregas and Nasri, and the Gunners did little to prove the doubters wrong. Having also had to deal with numerous injury problems, Arsene Wenger’s side struggled to hit the ground running in the early stage of the season. However, soon after Arteta, Mertesacker, Santos and Benayoun arrived to the club, the Gunners started raising their form and quickly managed to return to the right track. Led by magnificent Robin van Persie, who had a big help from the likes of Gervinho, Walcott and Ramsey, Arsenal embarked on a run that saw them win 11 of last 13 games, so we can safely say that the team are on top of their game at the moment. After beating very good Borussia Dortmund side to ensure their place in the Champions League knockout stages, the Gunners should have no problems doing the same against struggling Fulham. Arsene Wenger is still without Jack Wilshire, Kieran Gibbs, Bacary Sagna and Carl Jenkinson, but Tomas Rosicky and Abou Diaby should return.

Having shown a lot of potential last season, Fulham were expected to continue their uptrend under Martin Jol, but the Cottagers have experienced serious problems under the former Tottenham boss. With the pretty small squad at his disposal, the Dutchman failed to find the right balance between team’s performances on domestic and international stage, so while the Cottagers are set to ensure their place in Europa League knockout stages, their Premiership campaign is a major problem. Having taken just 11 points from 12 league games, Fulham sit just above the relegation zone and that is certainly not where they want to be at the moment. While the poor performances on the travels are hardly surprising, the Cottagers are finding it really hard to rediscover their home form, which could see them enter the relegation battle after all. Being completely low on confidence and playing away to in-form Arsenal, Fulham clearly have nothing to hope for at the moment.

Conclusion

Arsenal are flying high at the moment and when the Gunners are at their best, not even much stronger sides that Fulham can stop them. The Cottagers are in all sorts of problems at the moment and they should be happy if they avoid a heavy defeat at the Emirates.

Verdict: Arsenal with -1.5 Asian handicap

Best Odds: 13/10

Bookmaker: Bet365