Who: Arsenal vs Fulham
What: English Premier League
Where: Emirates Stadium, London, United Kingdom
When: Saturday, May 2, at 5:30pm (16:30 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the buildup on Al Jazeera Sport from 13:30 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream.
For all the talk of Arsenal having blown their Premier League title hopes after being reeled in by Manchester City, the truth is that come Saturday, they could have re-established a six-point lead to pile the pressure on Pep Guardiola’s side.
City’s 2-1 victory over Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium on April 29 meant that, having trailed by 10 points a few weeks earlier, they were able to knock Mikel Arteta’s side off the summit for the first time since October.
Momentum appeared to have shifted completely, but the fixture schedule may have come to Arsenal’s rescue as they try to clinch a first English crown since 2004.
With City otherwise engaged in FA Cup semifinal action last weekend, Arsenal ground out a 1-0 home win over Newcastle United to end a four-match losing streak in domestic competitions.
On Saturday, they host London rivals Fulham while City do not play again in the league until Monday, when they face a tough-looking trip to European-chasing Everton.
While City would have two games in hand before they kick off at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, the prospect of again having to make up a six-point gap with absolutely no margin for error would be a serious test of their resolve.
According to data analysts Opta, Arsenal are still favourites to end the season on top – but that could all change if they stumble against Marco Silva’s Fulham.
Sitting in 10th place with four games, Fulham are still very much in the hunt for European qualification and will be looking to exploit any Arsenal fatigue after Arteta’s side’s 1-1 draw at Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semis on Wednesday.
“We will go there with no fear, and play for the badge,” Fulham midfielder Josh King said.
History will be a considerable comfort, however, to Arsenal fans struggling to cope with the title-race tension.
Fulham have played 32 times away to Arsenal in all competitions and never won.
City’s record at Everton is equally impressive, though, losing none of their last 18 in all competitions and winning 15 of them and drawing three.
Whatever the outcome of Arsenal’s derby with Fulham, a City win at Everton would then give them the chance to crank up the pressure as their next league game at home to Brentford comes the day before Arsenal’s trip to West Ham United, a fixture being described as Arsenal’s toughest in the run-in.
Arsenal beat Fulham 1-0 in the reverse fixture between the sides earlier this season at Craven Cottage.
Leandro Trossard scored the only goal of the game on October 18, in the 58th minute.
The home side failed to register a shot on target, while Arsenal managed five and had a 63 percent share of possession.
The west London club secured a 2-1 home win in the Premier League two seasons ago.
Raul Jimenez and Bobby De Cordova-Reid scored the goals to turn the game around following Bukayo Saka’s fifth-minute opener.
This will be the 67th meeting between the sides, with Arsenal winning 44 of the encounters and Fulham claiming the spoils nine times.
The first match between the sides came in 1904 in an FA Cup tie that Arsenal won 3-2.
The next game came 10 years later when the sides met in the league for the first time, with Fulham exacting revenge with a 6-1 home win in the old Division Two.
Both the German and fellow forward Eze were injured in the Premier League win against Newcastle last week, but the latter shrugged off his knock to appear as a substitute against Atletico.
Jurrien Timber and Mikel Merino are both definite absentees through injury, but Riccardo Calafiori returned to the bench for the Champions League game in midweek and could be in line for a start.
Raya; Mosquera, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Odegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Gyokeres, Eze
Former Tottenham winger Ryan Sessegnon could return from a knock sustained in Fulham’s last outing, but Alex Iwobi’s thigh problem means he will not face his former club.
Kenny Tete and Kevin remain confirmed absentees.
Leno; Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Lukic; Wilson, Smith Rowe, Chukwueze; Jimenez
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