Who: Fulham vs Arsenal
Content: English Premier League
Location: Craven Cottage, London, England
Date and time: Saturday, October 18th, 5:30pm (16:30 GMT)
How to follow: Get everything ready on Al Jazeera Sports from 2:30pm (13:30 GMT) ahead of the live text commentary stream.
Premier League leaders Arsenal will be favorites to take on Fulham on Saturday, but as former Gunners manager Arsene Wenger has always lamented, London derbies usually offer more than just a chance to play against the opposition.
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The Gunners have finished second in the last three seasons and have not won the league since Wenger was in charge. Fulham, on the other hand, have fallen into a slump and are languishing in 14th place.
Al Jazeera Sports presents the match in which the west Londoners hope to turn the tide against the north London visitors.
How have Arsenal fared this season?
Arsenal opened the season with an unconvincing 1-0 victory over a surprisingly dominant Manchester United side and almost never looked back. The Gunners have won eight of their 10 games in all competitions this season. The only times they have failed to win in the league have been a narrow 1-0 loss to defending champions Liverpool and a 1-1 draw at home to Manchester City, but they needed a 90th-minute equalizer from Gabriel Martinelli.
The Gunners have yet to concede more than one goal in a game this season and have conceded just two goals in their last seven games. Against the team, he has scored 20 goals in 10 games.
How are Fulham doing this season?
Despite a bright start, West Londoners have suffered back-to-back defeats in the Premier League. Their record of just one loss and four wins from their last seven games continues the positive momentum that manager Marco Silva has brought to the Cottage. Two of their four wins this season have come in the League Cup, but back-to-back league wins either side of their recent cup wins looked set to kick-start Fulham’s season.
The recent defeats to Aston Villa and Bournemouth both came on the road, and Fulham remain unbeaten in five home games this season, dropping a point just once – and that came after a fine second-half performance against Manchester United in their first home game of the season.
When was the last time Arsenal won the Premier League?
The Gunners last lifted the Premier League trophy in 2004, when Wenger’s side were dubbed the ‘invincibles’ after going through the English top flight unbeaten.
How many times has Arsenal won the Premier League?
The Gunners won 13 league titles in England, winning their first top-flight trophy in 1931. They would win the title three times in the next four seasons. Wenger’s time as manager was then the most successful, winning the Premier League trophy in 1998, 2002 and 2004.
Premier League matches resume this week 🤩 @Arsenal are currently top of the table for the first time since April 2024 📈 pic.twitter.com/02Tkxse4Aq
— Premier League (@premierleague) October 13, 2025
Have Fulham ever won the Premier League?
Fulham have never won the English top flight title and are one of the few teams to have never won a major trophy in England’s top two divisions. The highest domestic title the Cottage have won is the Second Division title, which they have won three times, the last coming in 2022. Fulham also finished runners-up in the FA Cup and UEFA Europa League in 1975 and 2010 respectively.
What happened the last time Fulham played Arsenal?
Title-chasing Arsenal defeated Fulham 2-1 in the last meeting between the clubs at the Emirates Stadium in the Premier League in April. Mikel Merino and Bukayo Saka gave the Gunners a two-goal lead before Rodrigo Muniz sealed a tense finish in the 90th minute.
What happened in the corresponding match between Fulham and Arsenal last season?
Last season’s Premier League match at Craven Cottage ended in a 1-1 draw in December. Raul Jimenez gave the hosts the lead in the 11th minute, but William Saliba had his goal canceled out seven minutes into the second half, and despite few chances, the Gunners dominated possession.
direct confrontation
This will be the 66th meeting between the Londoners, with Arsenal winning 43 times and Fulham nine times.
Fulham’s last win against Arsenal was at Craven Cottage in December 2023, when Raul Jimenez and Bobby de Córdoba-Reid helped swing the game in the hosts’ favor with early goals from Bukayo Saka.
It was the second meeting between the two teams in the Premier League this season, with the come-from-behind game ending 2-2 in north London.
It was also Fulham’s first win against the Gunners in 12 games.
Fulham team news
Midfielder Sasa Lukic has featured regularly for Fulham in the Premier League this season, but suffered an adductor injury in the last game against the Cottage before the international break.
The Serbian international is likely to be out for at least another two weeks, with Kenny Tete and Rodrigo Muniz sidelined with knee and hamstring problems respectively.
Raul Jimenez was injured against Villa and missed the match against Bournemouth before the break, so it is doubtful whether the striker will visit Arsenal. Samuel Chukwueze also suffered a bruise in Nigeria’s win over Benin on Tuesday, but the extent of the injury is not yet fully known.
arsenal team news
Martin Odegaard remains sidelined with a knee injury, but the playmaker is expected to return next weekend against Tottenham Hotspur.
Kai Havertz and Noni Maduke are also expected to return from knee injuries for this game, but it is too early for the game against Fulham.
Gabriel Jesus could return before the new year, but he too has a knee problem. There are some doubts about Ben White, who missed Thursday’s training. Piero Hincapie is expected to return from the knock.
Fulham expected starting lineup
Leno. Diop, Bassey, Andersen. Castagne, Berger, Cairney, Sessegnon. Iwobi, Wilson. king
Arsenal starter candidate
Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori. Eze, Zubimendi, Rice. Saka, Gokeres, Trossard
Fulham and Arsenal Premier League form guide
Fulham’s last 5 EPL matches (last one being the last):
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Arsenal’s last 5 EPL matches –
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