Arsenal take on Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, and Paul Merson has made his prediction ahead of the clash.
The Gunners currently sit at the summit of the English top flight, having won five of their opening seven matches, conceding just three times in the process.
Mikel Arteta’s team strolled past West Ham in their last fixture, and the Spaniard has now had two weeks to mull over minor tactical nuances ahead of the next set of matches.
Atletico Madrid await Arsenal in the Champions League on Tuesday night, and thus, Arteta may opt to protect some of his key players ahead of that game by resting them at Craven Cottage.
Paul Merson makes Fulham vs Arsenal prediction
Arsenal will be without captain Martin Odegaard for the trip to Fulham, after the Norwegian playmaker sustained an MCL injury against West Ham before the international break.
Kai Havertz could return from injury sooner than expected, although the German certainly won’t be ready to be involved on Saturday.
Other than the aforementioned two, and long-term absentees Noni Madueke and Gabriel Jesus, Arteta should have a fully fit squad to pick from, with Piero Hincapie now available.
Paul Merson is confident that his old side will stroll to all three points at Craven Cottage, making a statement to the rest of the league in the process.
“If you’re Arsenal, these are the games that are going to win you the league,” the pundit wrote for Sportskeeda.
“I’ve seen them slipping up in games like these too many times. Arsenal did not beat West Ham last year and they did that this season. They also lost to Fulham last season, so they can send a huge statement with a win against Fulham.
“Three points in this game will send a strong message to their rivals about them learning from the mistakes of the past. Last season, when Arsenal finished second to Liverpool, they lost to West Ham, Fulham and Newcastle.
“If Arsenal win this Saturday, that’s all of those three teams beaten this season, and nine points they missed last time in the bag already!
“Arsenal have had the toughest start to a football season, and they are still the league leaders! I expect them to kick on from here, starting with a comfortable win over Fulham.”
Score Prediction: Fulham 0-2 Arsenal
Chris Sutton has predicted the result of Fulham vs Arsenal
Many who tipped Liverpool to win the Premier League before the season started have swiftly reversed their predictions over the last two weeks.
Ally McCoist now thinks Arsenal will win the league, and the Scotsman isn’t the only pundit who believes this.
Many believe Liverpool’s list of issues make them susceptible to too many slip-ups, while everything seems serene for the Gunners at the moment.
Writing for BBC Sport, Sutton stated that ‘no-one is stopping Arsenal’ right now, backing them to secure the points against Fulham.
“Fulham are no pushovers and they drew this fixture last season, but no-one is stopping Arsenal at the moment,” the former Celtic striker wrote.
“Martin Odegaard is out injured for a few weeks, but it won’t make a difference. Their squad depth is so strong, and my feeling right now is that they are going to power their way to the title.”
Score Prediction: Fulham 0-2 Arsenal
Fulham could be without both Raul Jimenez and Rodrigo Muniz for this clash, meaning Silva may have to conjure up a creative solution up front.
The Cottagers have lost each of their last two league games 3-1 and will therefore be desperate to end their recent woes against the Gunners.
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