Arsenal will be bidding to make it four straight wins at the start of the 2022-23 Premier League campaign when they welcome Fulham to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
The Gunners are currently top of the Premier League table with nine points from three matches, while Fulham have made an unbeaten start, picking up five points to sit seventh in the division.
Match preview
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Arsenal missed out on fourth spot in the Premier League table last season by two points, ultimately finishing fifth, but the Gunners have started the 2022-23 campaign in spectacular fashion, currently leading the table as the only side to boast a 100% record at this stage.
Mikel Arteta's side started their season with a 2-0 success at Crystal Palace before recording a 4-2 victory over Leicester City at the Emirates Stadium on August 13.
Arsenal were then 3-0 winners over Bournemouth last weekend, and the North London outfit are flying, with new signing Gabriel Jesus starring in the final third of the field; the Gunners now have two home fixtures against Fulham and Aston Villa before a trip to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United.
Arteta's team won 22 league games last season but suffered 13 defeats, which ultimately cost them the chance to claim a Champions League spot; there has been obvious improvement in the early stages of this campaign, though, and they look more than capable of finishing in the top four.
Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw by Fulham when the two teams last met at the Emirates Stadium in April 2021, but the Cottagers have not beaten their London rivals in the league since January 2012.
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Fulham, meanwhile, have been unable to secure back-to-back Premier League seasons since 2014, dropping straight back into the Championship following their last two promotions to the top flight.
Marco Silva's side have made a positive start to the 2022-23 season, though, picking up five points from their three matches, which has left them in seventh position in the table.
Fulham opened their new Premier League campaign with back-to-back draws against Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers before recording a 3-2 victory over Brentford last weekend, with Aleksandar Mitrovic scoring the winning goal in the 90th minute of the clash at Craven Cottage.
The Cottagers were shocked by Crawley Town in the EFL Cup on Tuesday night, suffering a 2-0 loss to exit the competition, but the London club will view the league as their priority this season.
Fulham will be aware of the size of the task facing them on Saturday, but they took the game to Liverpool on the opening weekend of the new season and certainly have the players capable of causing Arsenal issues.
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Team News
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Arsenal will again be without the services of Reiss Nelson due to a thigh problem, but the Gunners are otherwise in strong shape.
There are not expected to be any surprises, with Arteta set to name the same XI for a fourth game in succession, meaning that Ben White should continue at right-back.
Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli will again support Gabriel Jesus in the final third of the field, with Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka set to feature in midfield.
As a result, the likes of Emile Smith Rowe, Kieran Tierney, Eddie Nketiah and Takehiro Tomiyasu will have to accept spots on the bench once again.
As for Fulham, Harry Wilson and Manor Solomon will again be unavailable for selection, while Neeskens Kebano remains a doubt due to a groin issue.
Cottagers boss Silva rung the changes against Crawley on Tuesday, but the majority of the players found it difficult to impress, and the big-hitters will be back for this contest.
Mitrovic will again lead the line with support from Andreas Pereira, Bobby Decordova-Reid and Jay Stansfield, with Harrison Reed and Joao Palhinha set to start in central midfield.
Fulham have a number of defensive options, including Issa Diop, Shane Duffy and Kevin Mbabu, but all three are likely to be on the bench for the clash with the Gunners.
Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Thomas, Xhaka; Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli; Gabriel Jesus
Fulham possible starting lineup:
Leno; Tete, Adarabioyo, Ream, Robinson; Reed, Palhinha; Stansfield, Pereira, Cordova-Reid; Mitrovic
We say: Arsenal 2-1 Fulham
This could be a very tricky match for Arsenal, as Fulham have shown a lot of positive signs in the early stages of the new Premier League season. The Gunners have been excellent thus far, though, and we are expecting Arteta's side to put a fourth straight victory on the board.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
