Fulham are 14th with 32 points
and their highest achievable position
after Match Day 28 is 13th while
the lowest could be 16th.
- FULHAM set out in search of a fifth successive home League win against an Arsenal side who've won more times on their Champions League travels this season, than they have on the road in the Premiership - four in Europe, three in the League.
- The Cottagers have alternated between victory and defeat in their last six Premiership outings, and a win is due next in that sequence. Chris Coleman's side are still the only club in England without an away League victory this term, but on their own territory it's a different story. Fulham are unbeaten in five months on home soil, and are chasing a 45th maximum in their 90th home Premier League fixture all time. This is their eighth London League derby of the season. Of the previous seven, they've won one, drawn one and lost five. Defeat here could see them slide to within two places of the relegation zone.
- The Cottagers' last home league victory over Arsenal was 40 years ago. They won 1-0 on New Year's Day in 1966. Since then, they've held the Gunners to a goalless draw and lost the five most recent League clashes on their own territory.
- Not suffered back-to-back defeats in 19 Premiership outings, since Tottenham (a) and Manchester United (h) beat them on 26 September and 1 October respectively.
- Completed 12 top flight encounters since a scoreless draw (away to West Brom on 3 December).
- Lost the lead 11 times in the Premiership - that's more occasions than any other club.
29 of Fulham's 32 points have been secured at Craven Cottage. The 26 points difference between points claimed at home and away is the widest such dichotamy in the highest division.
E
- Enjoyed consecutive home League wins over Sunderland, Newcastle, Tottenham and West Brom.
- Beat the Baggies 6-1 in the most recent game at Craven Cottage - Fulham's biggest win of the season, and the joint highest scoring game of this Premiership campaign.
- Unbeaten in nine home League games.
- Won eight and drawn one in the highest League at the Cottage since losing by the odd goal in five to Manchester United on 1 October.
- Heider HELGUSON has scored four goals in five Premiership outings, including one in each of Fulham's last three.
- Luis BOA MORTE and Moritz VOLZ were both once on Arsenal's books.
- If he plays, Alain GOMA will be making his 150th English League appearance (Newcastle and Fulham).
- If he lines up for the opening whistle, Steed MALBRANQUE will be making his 150th English League start.
- If on the field from the outset, Brian McBRIDE will be making his 50th start for Fulham.
- Should he gets a run out, Niclas JENSEN will be making his 50th career Premiership appearance (Bolton, Charlton and Fulham).
|
| HEAD TO HEAD RESULTS |
|
Fulham |
Draw |
Arsenal |
| League |
5 |
6 |
26 |
| Premier |
0 |
1 |
8 |
|
| HEAD TO HEAD at FULHAM |
| |
Fulham |
Draw |
Arsenal |
| League |
5 |
4 |
9 |
| Premier |
0 |
0 |
4 |
|
|
Bolton are 7th with 41 points
and their highest achievable position
after Match Day 28 is 5th while
the lowest could be 9th
- ARSENAL are three places and five points below the top four, and in grave danger of missing out on a Champions League qualifying spot after an indifferent spell of top flight form. Only Sunderland and Portsmouth lie beneath them in the Premiership's "Last Six Current Form" table, just four points being garnered from the possible 18. They've not been as low as seventh after 27 games of a Premiership campaign for 11 seasons.
- Arsene Wenger's troops are playing away from home for the fourth successive match and third in the Premiership. They've been unable to carry over the form on show in Spain against Real Madrid to their domestic travels, recording back-to-back 1-0 reverses at Liverpool and Blackburn. The Gunners have lost eight League games on the road - that's more than ever before since the Premiership was reduced to 20 clubs and played over 38 matches. They used to be nigh unbeaten in Premiership London derbies, but this season's return from seven cross-capital clashes is won two, drawn two, lost three.
- The Gunners have had the better of the exchanges in the Premiership with Fulham, winning eight of the nine. That includes the reverse fixture in August, when they prevailed 4-1. Thierry Henry scored a brace and edged closer to Ian Wright's club record. Arsenal are defending a 100% Premiership record on Fulham turf. Victory will complete a fourth 'double' in five attempts over the Thames-side outfit and ninth over them all time.
- Lost four of the last six Premiership games.
- Scored 39 goals in the top table. Only the leading two, Chelsea (54) and Manchester United (52) have netted more.
- Gone seven League outings since a goalless draw (home to Manchester United on 3 January).
- This is Arsenal's third weakest performance to this stage of a Premier League season. They had only 38 points after the first 27 games in 1992/93 and 33 points in 1994/95 when finishing 10th and 12th respectively.
- On the longest run in the top division of 11 games, since a defeat by more than a single goal (0-2, home to Chelsea on 18 December).
- Won all 11 highest League matches, in which they've scored the opening goal.
- Lost the lead on fewer occasions in Premiership matches than any other club (one).
- Lost more than eight away League games when the Premiership was played over 42 games. They returned without a point from nine matches on their travels in 1992/93, and from 11 matches in 1994/95.
- Taken maximum points off only Wigan, Charlton and Birmingham on their Premiership travels.
- Failed to score in four of the last five top tier encounters on the road, and in six of the last eight.
- Won one of five League games away from home.
- Thierry HENRY is the second highest scoring Premiership player of the season with 20 - two behind Ruud Van Nistelrooy. He's four behind the Manchester United striker in the race for the Barclays Golden Boot with 15.
- Only three of HENRY's 15 League goals this season have been scored away from home.
- HENRY has scored three goals in two appearances against Fulham, and has netted six Premiership goals against them all told.
- If he lines-up for the kick-off, Jose Antonio REYES will be making his 50th Premiership start for Arsenal.
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LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME -
11 September 2004
Fulham 0-3 Arsenal |
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