Match Preview
Arsenal vrs Fulham
Premier League Match Day 30 24/25 at Emirates Stadium,
Tueday 1st April 2025 KO: 19:45
Referee:
John Brooks (Leicestershire)
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Fulham face Arsenal in the Premier League at the Emirates on Tuesday evening after emerging 2-0 victors against Tottenham Hotspur in their last league game and are in eighth place with 45 points. The Gunners are in second place with 58 points but they did at least beat rivals Chelsea 1-0 in their last game on March 16
Fulham will be looking to bounce back from their disappointing 3-0 FA Cup quarter-final defeat against Crystal Palace on Saturday, a game in which the victors only accumulated 29% possession but still managed to create three big chances.
To the Cottagers' credit, their performance against Tottenham in the league was strong, with Marco Silva's side having restricted Spurs to just one shot in the first half.
Fulham could qualify for European football this season given just four points separate them from fourth-placed Chelsea, though they will play Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea in three of their next four matches.
Silva's team have triumphed in four of their past six league games – losing two – while scoring nine goals, conceding on eight occasions and keeping one clean sheet in that period.
The Cottagers boast a strong away record having won five of their last six outings on the road, and they only lost one of their prior six away from home.
A victory for hosts Arsenal would temporarily close the gap to leaders Liverpool to nine points.
Mikel Merino scored Arsenal's only goal against Chelsea in the 20th minute, and the game otherwise saw relatively little action, with neither side creating a big chance nor generating at least one xG.
Mikel Arteta's team had not kept a clean sheet in their prior three matches, and had not kept their opponents at bay at the Emirates in their previous four home league outings.
The Gunners play a day before Liverpool, but a defeat on Tuesday could allow third-placed Nottingham Forest to close the gap to the Londoners to just one point, though they are unlikely to be dragged into a top-four battle given they are 10 points ahead of fifth-placed Manchester City.
Arsenal were held to a 1-1 stalemate by Fulham in the reverse fixture on December 8, and they are in fact winless against the Cottagers in their last three attempts, losing once and drawing twice in that time.
Arteta's side are unbeaten in five games, but they failed to win three of those matches, and they also succumbed to defeat in two of their prior three.
The hosts' record at the Emirates is mixed considering they have lost three, drawn two and won four of their nine most recent outings at home.
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Arsenal have never lost in 31 home league fixtures against Fulham (W24, D7). It's the most home games one side has played against another without ever losing in English league history.
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However, the Gunners have not won any of the past three meetings (D2, L1).
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Fulham's run of three consecutive away wins came to an end when they lost at Brighton earlier this month.
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They could equal their club record of five London derby league wins in a season, set in 1931-32 and matched in 1947-48 and 2000-01.
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Marco Silva averages 1.3 points in London derbies while at Fulham, the best of any manager to have taken charge of at least 10 such fixtures with the club in the Premier League.
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An unrivalled 13 of Fulham's 43 Premier League goals this season have been scored by substitutes.
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Antonee Robinson has made 50 interceptions in the Premier League this season, the joint-highest total along with Liverpool's Ryan Gravenberch.
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Arsenal have lost just one of their last 19 Premier League matches (W11, D7).
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Mikel Arteta's side have earned 20 points in London derbies this season, more than any other side.
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Their Premier League games this season are averaging 23.6 shots per match (13.9 for, 9.7 against), the lowest of any side in the division this season.
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The Gunners have kept 17 clean sheets this season in all competitions and restricted their opponents to less than 0.50 xG in 11 of their 29 Premier League games – more than any other side.
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They have scored 27 goals from corners in the top flight since the start of last season, more than any other side.
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Arsenal have won all seven of their Premier League games on 1 April by an aggregate score of 25-3.
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Source Lewis Nolan at SportsMole/BBCSports