Arsenal will face Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon at Craven Cottage after a hard-fought 2-2 draw against Sporting CP in the Europa League.
Despite taking an early lead, the north London club was forced to settle for a 2-2 draw with the Portuguese outfit. So, Mikel Arteta’s team will have to take advantage of home advantage and finish the job next week in the second leg to advance to the quarter-finals.
To maintain their five-point lead at the top and continue their title charge, Arsenal must first overcome the challenge of in-form Fulham in the Premier League.
The Gunners have won four consecutive league games and will be looking to make it five this Sunday. But the north Londoners will have to be at their best to take all three points from this game.
Arsenal’s probable starting lineup
Aaron Ramsdale will return to Arsenal’s goal after a Thursday rest, while Matt Turner is expected to be demoted to the bench after a poor midweek outing.
William Saliba is expected to retain his starting spot for the Gunners, while Gabriel Magalhaes will be recalled at the back to partner the Frenchman. After a difficult Arsenal debut against Sporting, Jakub Kiwior would be among the substitutes.
Ben White is expected to start at right back, with Oleksandr Zinchenko continuing on the opposite side. As a result, Takehiro Tomiyasu will be on the bench alongside Kierney, who is expected to rejoin the squad after recovering from illness.
Jorginho will be replaced by Thomas Partey in the holding midfield position. Granit Xhaka could keep his spot in the engine room, and Martin Odegaard is expected to return after recovering from illness. Fabio Vieira, despite impressing last time out, would be among the substitutes in that case.
Arsenal currently lacks center-forward options due to the injuries to Eddie Nketiah and Leandro Trossard. Gabriel Jesus, on the other hand, is expected to be sidelined this weekend despite returning to full training because Arteta does not want to rush him back after a serious knee injury.
As a result, Gabriel Martinelli will continue to lead the Gunners’ line, with Reiss Nelson and Bukayo Saka potentially filling in on either side of the Brazilian. Emile Smith Rowe could find himself on the bench once more.
