Arsenal went into the March international break with a 1-0 win over their London rivals Chelsea. However, it still seems very unlikely that this victory will help them end their 20-year wait for a Premier League title. The Gunners were 12 points behind league leaders Liverpool during the break, so they would need a major slip-up from the Reds to have any chance of winning the league.
Next up for Arsenal is another London derby, this time against Fulham at the Emirates Stadium. Mikel Arteta’s team will be confident, especially because of their incredible home record against Fulham. Arsenal have never lost a home league game against them in 31 matches (24 wins, 7 draws) – the longest unbeaten home run against a single team in English league history.
That’s bad news for Fulham, who were knocked out of the FA Cup on Saturday after losing 3-0 at home to Crystal Palace. Manager Marco Silva was disappointed with his side’s lack of finishing, but fewer distractions could help them focus on their league form.
Fulham are only four points away from the top four and are still in with a real chance of qualifying for European football for the first time since the 2010/11 season. More consistency would help – they’ve only managed back-to-back league wins once since November. However, their substitutes have made a big impact, scoring 13 goals in the league this season – a figure bettered by only four teams in Premier League history.
As for individual players, three of Arsenal’s Mikel Merino’s six Premier League goals have come after the 80th minute in matches that ended in wins. Meanwhile, former Arsenal player Emile Smith Rowe, now at Fulham, has been on the winning side in 19 of his last 20 games in which he’s scored – including all five for the Cottagers.
Arsenal also have a perfect record in Premier League matches played on 1st April, having won all seven – the joint-best 100% win rate for a specific date in the competition’s history.
