Fulham vs Arsenal 12/09/20

12 September 2020

Newly-promoted Fulham will entertain high-flying Arsenal at Craven Cottage for their 2020/21 Premier League curtain-raiser this weekend.

Fulham quickly returned to the Premier League after spending a year in the Championship, beating Brentford 2-1 in the play-offs final at Wembley. The ‘Cottagers’ won precisely 50% of their league matches last season (W23, D12, L11), although the majority (65.22%) of those successes arrived on home turf. Far more comfortable at home, Fulham returned 40 (62.5%) of the 64 Championship goals scored last season at Craven Cottage. But, they now face a formidable challenge of the Arsenal side they’ve lost to in all five of their previous top-flight H2Hs. In fact, both of their last such clashes have seen Fulham concede over 3.5 goals and score precisely one apiece.

On the other hand, Arsenal endured an utterly underwhelming 2019/20 Premier League campaign, finishing eighth in the table. That was mainly due to their disappointing away record (W4, D8, L7). Indeed, the four wins registered away from home represented just 28.57% of their overall (14) league triumphs last season. It gets worse for the Gunners, knowing they completed 2019/20 with a negative -4 goal difference on the road (GF:20, GA:24). Mikel Arteta’s men also registered the majority (59.09%) of their overall Premier League away goals scored/conceded the last term in the second half of play (26/44). Arteta can still draw on the fact Arsenal wrapped up the FA Cup and Community Shield in the past 40 days, beating Chelsea and Liverpool to the respective trophies.