PREVIEW | Arsenal vs Fulham [Premier League, Matchweek 35]

Arsenal has had an emotionally and physically draining Champions League match against Atlético, which ultimately ended in a 1-1 draw. Who will eventually advance to the final of the millionaire competition will therefore be decided in the return leg in North London, which is scheduled for next week. Now, however, all attention in the Gunners' camp is shifting back to the home Premier League, where the charges Mikel Arteta's In the 35th round, they will host neighbours Fulham. I probably don't need to remind anyone what's at stake. Arsenal needs to get three points at all costs and, even better, score as many goals as possible. Assuming Arsenal really manages the match against Fulham and wins, they will pull away from the Cityzens, at least until Monday, by six points. From a psychological perspective, this would be a big advantage for the Gunners. But the key is to win on Saturday.

Basic information

📅 Date and time	🏟️ Stadium	⚽️ Match	🏆 Competition
2. 5. 2026, 18:30 (CET)	Emirates Stadium	Arsenal vs Fulham	Premier League (Matchweek 35)

Form

Looking at recent performances, Arsenal's form isn't exactly the best. However, at this stage of the season, the results Arsenal has achieved since their defeat to Manchester City are the crucial ones they needed. In the Premier League, they responded to two consecutive defeats with a victory against Newcastle, and subsequently secured a valuable draw away at Atlético Madrid in the Champions League. Fulham, who are practically playing for nothing in the remainder of the season, are on a rather decent run of form.

Arsenal

📈 Current form: 🟡 🟢 🔴 🟡 🔴

⚽️ Results: Atlético 1:1 Arsenal (CL), Arsenal 1:0 Newcastle (PL), Manchester City 2:1 Arsenal (PL), Arsenal 0:0 Sporting (CL), Arsenal 1:2 Bournemouth (PL)

🏆 Premier League position: 1st (73 points)

Fulham

📈 Current form: 🟢 🟡 🔴 🟢 🟡

⚽️ Results: Fulham 1:0 Aston Villa (PL), Brentford 0:0 Fulham (PL), Liverpool 2:0 Fulham (PL), Fulham 3:1 Burnley (PL), Nottingham 0:0 Fulham (PL)

🏆 Premier League position: 10th (48 points)

Team and expected line-up

Given the importance of all Arsenal's remaining fixtures this season, I expect the strongest possible line-up in every game. Of course, considering all circumstances, especially the players' fitness and the schedule. What line-up might Arsenal field for the small London derby against Fulham?

Predicted Arsenal vs Fulham line-up

Defence

As I've already mentioned in previous articles, there's no reason to change anything between the sticks, so David Raya will once again start in goal for Arsenal from the first minute. Although there's an unwritten rule in football that you shouldn't interfere with a functioning defence at all, I think we'll see some changes in the Gunners' defensive four this time, specifically two. I expect that, considering the very demanding schedule, Mikel Arteta will rotate the full-back positions. On the left flank, the recently heavily utilised Piero Hincapié replace the recovered Riccardo Calafiori, while on the right this time Cristhian Mosquera will feature at the expense of Ben White. The stopper pairing will most likely remain unchanged.

Midfield

The two most used outfield players for Arsenal, Declan Rice and Martín Zubimendi, will not be absent from the starting lineup against Fulham. Personally, I would really like to see some rotation so that both could have at least a little extra rest, but I don't believe Mikel Arteta would leave them on the bench now. A small question mark remains over who will join them in midfield. Based on information from today's pre-match press conference, Martin Ødegaard should be fine after his surprising and early substitution against Atlético, so I think it will be him. Another strong contender for this position, Eberechi Eze, in my opinion, will also be part of the starting eleven, but I will get to that in a moment.

Attack

I've practically given it away in the paragraph above, so I'll continue straight away. In my opinion, Eberechi Eze will start on the left flank of the defence, or more precisely, on the left wing. On the opposite side of the pitch, I expect Bukayo Saka, whom I frankly expected in the starting lineup on Wednesday against Atlético. If Saka were to start on the bench again, his place would almost certainly be taken by Noni Madueke. At the tip of the attack, I don't think there's much to discuss at the moment. At the number nine position, Arsenal's top scorer this season, Viktor Gyökeres, will start.

Absences

Arsenal's squad looks like this ahead of the match against Fulham: Mikel Merino, Jurriën Timber and Kai Havertz. The Spanish midfielder is still working his way back to fitness following a foot injury and surgery, with his return not yet imminent. Jurriën Timber and Kai Havertz are expected to be in a much better condition, but they will both have to miss the match against Fulham. All other first-team players should be available.

Opponent

🏟️ Stadium: Craven Cottage, London (capacity 29,589)

👔 Manager: Marco Silva

🧤Goalkeepers: Bernd Leno, Benjamin Lecomte

🛡️ Defenders: Joachim Andersen, Calvin Bassey, Timothy Castagne, Jorge Cuenca, Issa Diop, Antonee Robinson, Kenny Tete

🎯 Midfielders: Sander Berge, Oscar Bobb, Tom Cairney, Alex Iwobi, Joshua King, Saša Lukić, Harrison Reed, Ryan Sessegnon, Emile Smith Rowe, Harry Wilson

⚽️ Forwards: Samuel Chukwueze, Raul Jimenez, Kevin, Jonah Kusi Asare, Rodrigo Muniz

🚑 Injuries: : Kenny Tete, Ryan Sessegnon, Alex Iwobi, Kevin

⚠️ Suspensions:

Match

Arsenal players are currently going through a very challenging period, both mentally and physically. The season is drawing to a close, and Arsenal are still fighting for two significant trophies, the Premier League and the Champions League. On the one hand, fatigue and perhaps a pragmatic approach to matches must be considered. On the other hand, as several players themselves have mentioned in various interviews, what more could they wish for? Fighting for the most prestigious titles is probably every footballer's dream. Where am I going with this? To the point that Arsenal players would certainly welcome a holiday and a long break from football, but given the journey they have already undertaken, they will fight with all their might for the rest of the season.

How will all of this play out in Saturday's derby at the Emirates Stadium? I assume Arsenal won't be putting on another big offensive show, but rather playing systematic and patient football based on maximum possible control of the game's tempo. The idea of Mikel Arteta's charges scoring as many goals as possible against former Arsenal player Bernd Leno is nice, but as I've mentioned perhaps a hundred times, the most important thing is to get the three points. A substantial goal difference, even though it might play a crucial role in the final reckoning, is still an added bonus. That's precisely why I think we could see a very similar match to the one last week against Newcastle.

Tip for an accurate result

I am firmly convinced that Arsenal will manage the derby against Fulham and win it. What I am no longer convinced of is that they will win by a significant margin in terms of goals, although it would certainly suit them in the title race. I predict a 2:0 victory for Arsenal.

Next match

Mikel Arteta's charges will contest their next match on Tuesday 5th of May 2026 at 21:00 (CET), when they will host Spanish side Atlético Madrid in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final in North London. Just a reminder, the first encounter ended in a 1:1 draw, so both teams will be practically starting from scratch in their fight for a place in the Champions League final. A significant advantage for Arsenal should be the home advantage at the Emirates Stadium.

See you next time, I'll look forward to it!

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