Mikel Arteta says that Arsenal has used the international break to “reflect and reset” for the run-in.
The Gunners have twin goals during the last weeks of the season. They are confronted with Real Madrid in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, the first leg that will come next week, while still retaining an external opportunity to chase Liverpool in the Premier League title race.
Arsenal is 12 points behind the Merseysiders with only nine games to go and not have room for mistakes, from tomorrow evening against Fulham.
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Arteta said: “We had a good time to think and reset and place ourselves in a good position to enter the most exciting part of the Premier League season.
“It is possible to win tomorrow. The preparation is to be better than Fulham and to beat them. If we do, we will start building Momentum that will help us in both competitions.”
Arsenal has been left behind Liverpool after a series of only one win in four league matches and Arteta expects a new tough test against a Fulham side that remains in the fight to sneak a European qualifying place.
He added: “They are always a heavy opposition. They have been well coached and they have been together for many years. They have a great organization and individual quality.
“They have a very clear identity and idea of how to approach the game. So we have to be very good to beat them.
“We had a lot of dominance in the last game against them [1-1 draw in December]But they were very clinical. They managed to score the goal and leaned back and reduced the spaces. “
Fulham goes to North London on the back of a moral-sappe 3-0 defeat at home to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup Quarterfinals on Saturday.
The men of Marco Silva were disappointing, but a victory at the Emirates would be moving to sixth place in the table, a point behind the fourth placed Chelsea.
Team news for Arsenal V Fulham
The big news for Arsenal is the fact that English winger Bukayo Saka “is ready to go” and will be included in the team.
Saka has not played since he sustained a serious hamstring injury in the victory in Crystal Palace in December, but is again fit after a long period of rehabilitation.
“Bukayo Saka is ready to go,” said Arteta.
“All careful things have already been done. Now it is about placing him in the grass at the right time. But he pushes because he really wants that.
“We have respected the timeline and we did everything. He is ready to go.”
It is likely that he will start on the couch with Ethan Nwaneri who continues.
The negative for Arsenal is Riccardo Calafiori suffered a knee injury at international duty with Italy and is not available.
Fulham has a clean health letter and chooses from the same team that the palace has recorded, although Silva probably makes changes in view of their weekend performance.
Predicted line-ups for Arsenal V Fulham
Arsenal: Tiber, Saliba, Gabriel, Levilly-Skelly; Party, rice, Odegaard; Riveri, Merino, Martin.
Fulham: Leno; Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Lukic; Traore, Smith-Rowe, Iwobi; Jimenez
How to watch Arsenal V Fulham: TV and Online Stream
The game is not on television in the UK or via an online stream.
However, if you live abroad, view this list: overseas viewing options
Statistics for Arsenal V Fulham
- Arsenal has won five of their last 10 games against Fulham with two goals or more
- There has been a first half goal in each of the last seven home games of Arsenal
- Fulham scored a first half goal in their last four Way matches
Prediction
If Fulham won at the weekend, this would have been a more difficult game for Arsenal.
But the setback to Palace, and the nature of the defeat, can take some time to come across.
Arsenal will be stimulated by the return of Saka and we think he will appear with the game in the second half.
Prediction: Arsenal 4-1 Fulham
