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3 min: All a bit scrappy so far.
2 min: Arsenal are kicking towards the Hammersmith End in this first half.
The players take a knee – there’s No Room For Racism – and then Fulham get the ball rolling. Plenty of noise, joyous bedlam, London derby, all that.
The teams emerge from the Cottage. Fulham in white, Arsenal in second-choice blue. A heady atmosphere down by the river. It won’t be too long now.
Marco Silva talks to Sky. “[To have Raúl Jiménez back] is crucial … we have two strikers who have been scoring more than 20 goals a season together … we miss Rodrigo [Muniz] … it is crucial to have at least one of them.”
Mikel Arteta, exuding determination, speaks to Sky Sports. “We have to learn from the [mistakes of the] very recent past … improve as a team … we have done it against Newcastle and West Ham … now after three years of not winning [at Craven Cottage] we must do it against Fulham … it is about momentum … flexibility … options … Fulham have a high level of organisation … patterns … a real threat … it is always a challenge to play here.”
Pre-match postbag o’pessimism. “Marco Silva’s team selections are getting more and more weird, and we’re most definitely going to be in the relegation struggle,” sighs Richard Hirst. “Love what Tom Cairney has given Fulham but he is not the player to take on this Arsenal midfield; we could be swamped today. Let’s just hope No Kings only applies in the States and that Josh finally gets some luck to go with his skill.”
Arsenal started the day atop the Premier League. Now, for a couple of hours at least, they’ve been knocked off their perch. Barry Glendenning has the details of Manchester City’s win over Everton in today’s Clockwatch. No change for Fulham, who remain in 14th place. A draw this evening will be enough for Arsenal to reclaim top spot, while Fulham can climb into the top half, though they’d need to win by three clear goals to leapfrog tenth-placed Everton.
That victory over West Ham sent Arsenal top. Ed Aarons takes a gander at 20 years’ worth of data and explains why that ostensibly welcome state of affairs for the Gunners comes with absolutely no guarantees whatsoever.
It’s been a while … so here’s a reminder of what happened to both teams last time around.
Fulham make three changes to their starting line-up following their 3-1 loss at Bournemouth. Raúl Jiménez, Jorge Cuenca and captain Tom Cairney return, at the expense of Issa Diop and Calvin Bassey, who are benched, and the injured Saša Lukić. Antonee Robinson and Rodrigo Muniz are also unavailable.
Arsenal make just one change to their starting XI after their 2-0 home win over West Ham. Martin Ødegaard is injured, so in comes Martín Zubimendi.
The teams
Fulham: Leno, Castagne, Andersen, Cuenca, Sessegnon, Berge, Cairney, Wilson, King, Iwobi, Jimenez.
Subs: Lecomte, Tete, Bassey, Reed, Traore, Kusi-Asare, Kevin, Diop, Smith Rowe.
Arsenal: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Eze, Zubimendi, Rice, Saka, Gyokeres, Trossard.
Subs: Arrizabalaga, Mosquera, White, Martinelli, Norgaard, Nwaneri, Merino, Lewis-Skelly, Dowman.
Referee: Anthony Taylor.
VAR: Stuart Attwell.
Preamble
Three weeks ago, the 2025-26 Premier League was Liverpool’s to lose. Now it’s safe in the hands of Arsenal. It’s all been a bit presumptuous seeing the season’s barely started, but that’s the modern discourse for you. Hey, we’re all at fault. So can Arsenal consolidate their lead at the top, against a side who have only defeated them once in the last 14 meetings? Or will they let things slip at a ground where they’ve failed to win in either of their last two visits? Fulham could do with a result themselves, having lost their previous two matches before the international break, so this London derby is set up deliciously. Kick-off is at 5.30pm. It’s on!
