Game preview - Arsenal (a)

Perhaps it's a rather fortunate time to be playing an Arsenal side that appear to be on the upturn, or perhaps we'd prefer to tackle a side prefaced quite wondrously by Robin van Persie at a more quiet period in their season. Like most of our games of late, there's a degree of ambiguity about which way this one will go.

Most will assume Arsene Wenger's men have the upper hand, what with our terrible record at the Emirates, but the Gunners are reaching a point in their season where everything appears to be going swimmingly and it's always these moments where the errors start to slip in. 

What that doesn't do, however, is say much about the form of our very own Fulham.

We have been nothing short of indifferent of late. The 0-0 draw away at Sunderland was, while being a good point on paper, a slightly demoralising display of expansive football played out to no avail. With only 4 goals in our last 5 Premier League games, the potential acquisition of Jean-Pierre Gignac from Marseille is looking ever more delectable - regardless of the whereabouts of Andy Johnson. 

For Wenger, things have been panned out far more dreamily of late. They haven't lost a game in all competitions since being defeated by Redknapp's Tottenham on 2nd October, and looked particularly astute in undoing German champions Borussia Dortmund in midweek.

Their injury book is probably Wenger's only concern for the Cottager's visit, Carl Jenkinson, Bacary Sagna and Jack Wilshere all out. The Frenchman will be able to welcome back Abou Diaby, though.

Three injury doubts will play on Jol's mind with Damien Duff, Steven Kelly and Steve Sidwell unlikely to start, while John Arne Riise has returned to the first eleven.

Predicted line-up: Schwarzer; Riise, Hangeland, Hughes, Baird; Dempsey, Murphy, Etuhu, Dembele; Zamora, Johnson

Score prediction: Arsenal 2 - 1 Fulham