Undefeated Whites want to upset the leaders
Not Manchester City, nor Liverpool, but Arsenal lead the English Premier League standings after three matchdays completed. The Gunners are the only team to have won all three matches so far and have thus underpinned their own ambitions. Of course, they want to continue their winning streak on Saturday. Arteta’s team will then face a city rival that has also made a solid start to the campaign.
Before the Arsenal vs. Fulham match, the odds of the bookmakers with a German licence indicate a clear favourite role in favour of the hosts. In addition to the extremely positive impressions from the first games, this clear assessment is also due to the fact that the Cannoniers have actually never (!) lost at home to the Whites across competitions.
However, the promoted team from the west of the capital should not be underestimated either. After all, coach Marco Silva’s team is still unbeaten after three matches. Five points are currently enough for seventh place in the table.
Furthermore, two of the best goal scorers in the tournament so far will clash at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday evening from 18:30. Gabriel Jesus and Alexander Mitrovic already have a combined tally of five goals for the season and will be looking to add to their personal tally. It might even be worth considering a “both score” prediction between Arsenal and Fulham
Arsenal – Statistics & current form
After a couple of seasons in which Arsenal FC failed to live up to their own expectations, the Gunners were on the verge of a return to the Champions League in pre-season but missed out in the dying stages. They finished fifth in the final standings. They had to give way to their hated rivals Tottenham, of all teams, to reach the top flight.
At the moment, however, it seems as if those responsible around coach Mikel Arteta have learned the right lessons and worked on the weaknesses. Thanks to some sensible reinforcements and adjustments in their own game, the Londoners have made a perfect start to the season. Nine points and 9:2 goals after three games underline this thesis, as does the fact that the capital club won all matches with at least a two-goal difference.
Arsenal are ploughing through the season so far
It would therefore be reckless to place a bet on the visitor between Arsenal and Fulham. Especially because various other statistics also speak quite clearly in favour of the former champions. For example, the Cannoniers are now unbeaten in 33 (!) home games against promoted teams in the Premier League (28 wins, five draws).
Apart from that, Arteta’s eleven have won all of their last four Premier League home games season-wide and even scored four or more goals in the most recent two games in front of their own supporters. It could be only the fifth time in their own club’s history, and the first time in almost 20 years, that the kickers from the north London borough of Islington have started a Premier League season with four wins.
Gabriel Jesus – the Gunners’ new attacking star
The facts and figures read so impressively that it is easy to understand why Arsenal are odds-on favourites against Fulham. But because Gabriel Jesus and Co. conceded two goals in their first home game against Leicester, we would not be averse to placing a bet on both teams scoring in this derby.
Speaking of Gabriel Jesus, the Manchester City newcomer has already scored five goals in his first three league games for his new club. Personally, he also has four goals and four assists in his last four games against Premier League promotion rivals. Will the Brazilian also score at the weekend? With the exception of Reiss Nelson, the Spanish coach can rely on all of his proven players.
Predicted Arsenal line-up:
Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Thomas, Xhaka; Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli; Gabriel Jesus
Last matches played by Arsenal:
Premier League
20/08/2022 – Bournemouth 0 – 3 Arsenal FC
13/08/2022 – Arsenal FC 4 – 2 Leicester
06/08/2022 – Crystal Palace 0 – 2 Arsenal FC
Club friendlies
30/07/2022 – Arsenal FC 6 – 0 Sevilla FC
24/07/2022 – Arsenal FC 4 – 0 Chelsea FC
Fulham – Statistics & current form
In the last three seasons that Fulham were allowed to spend in the highest English division, they were always relegated. 32 points after 38 matchdays were the highest of the feelings in these three seasons. For the upcoming season, the promoted club from west London has logically set itself a lot of goals. For the first time since 2012/13, they want to keep their place in the Premier League.
After three match days, things are not looking bad at all for the Whites. After two remarkable draws against Liverpool (2:2) and Wolverhampton (0:0), the capital city side beat Brentford 3:2 in a small derby the week before. Alexander Mitrovic scored the decisive goal in the last minute of the game. There was no end to the jubilation at Craven Cottage afterwards.
Mitrovic, Mitrovic & Mitrovic
Only once (2010/11) did Fulham go unbeaten in the first four matchdays in the English top flight. If you want to bet on history repeating itself twelve years later, you can find high odds in the region of 3.60 for a double chance X2 prediction ahead of the Arsenal vs. Fulham match. However, you definitely need the courage to take risks for such a bet, because statistically there is not much to suggest that the Silva eleven will take anything worthwhile away from the Emirates Stadium.
Not only have Fulham failed to win any of their 30 away games with their city rivals, but they have only come out on top in one of their past 15 Premier League encounters with Arsenal. Prior to the aforementioned 3-2 win over Brentford the previous week, the Cottagers had gone winless in 24 consecutive London derbies. For the first time since 2013, when Martin Jol was still coach in the west of the capital, they could now win two city duels in a row.
For that to happen, however, they will need a brilliant Mitrovic. The Serbian World Cup player was already the offensive guarantor of success for the second division champions last season. This season, too, his record is impressive, with three goals in three games. In addition, no other Premier League player has fired more shots on goal than the brawny centre-forward (15). His goal-scoring prowess certainly provides a veritable argument to check the betting odds on both sides to score between Arsenal and Fulham.
Predicted Fulham line-up:
Leno; Tete, Adarabioyo, Ream, Robinson; Reed, Palhinha; Stansfield, Pereira, Cordova-Reid; Mitrovic
Last matches played by Fulham:
Carabao Cup
24/08/2022 – Crawley 2 – 0 Fulham
Premier League
20/08/2022 – Fulham 3 – 2 Brentford
13/08/2022 – Wolverhampton 0 – 0 Fulham
06/08/2022 – Fulham 2 – 2 Liverpool FC
Club friendlies
31/07/2022 – Fulham 1 – 1 Villarreal FC
Arsenal – Fulham Direct comparison / H2H balance
54 There have been 54 meetings between these London clubs in England’s top flight so far. With 36 wins, eleven draws and only seven defeats, Arsenal clearly leads the record. Especially at home, the Gunners have rarely had problems against the Whites in the past.
Across all competitions, Fulham have not won any of their 30 matches at the north London club. Nine defeats, five draws and just a single treble in their past 15 PL encounters are further indications that Mitrovic and Co. will go into Saturday’s encounter at the Emirates Stadium as glaring underdogs.
Arsenal – Fulham Tip
One of the top matches of the 4th matchday in the Premier League is also a highly anticipated derby between two capital clubs. Under normal circumstances, Arsenal should end up in different spheres of the table than Fulham at the end of the season, but currently the two London clubs are still surprisingly close to each other.
Surprising in the sense that the Arteta eleven is “only” four points ahead of the Whites despite maximum yield of nine points from three games. The promoted team has also made a promising start, is still unbeaten, even earned a point against Liverpool and currently occupies seventh place in the standings. Nevertheless, coach Marco Silva’s side will naturally go into Saturday night’s match at the Emirates Stadium as underdogs
Because the odds on the home win are so slim, we have opted for an alternative tip between Arsenal and Fulham. This is because we believe both teams will come out on goal. The west Londoners have an extremely goal-threatening player in Mitrovic and are also brimming with confidence. The Gunners, meanwhile, won their first home game of the season 4-2 and did not make the best impression defensively.
