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2023/24 English Premier League
Matchday 3
Arsenal v Fulham
Emirates Stadium
London, England
Saturday, 26 August 2023
Kick-off is at 15h00
Arsenal will be aiming to maintain their perfect start to the
Premier League season when they face Fulham in another London derby at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, August 26.
The Gunners kept pace with Brighton and Manchester City at the top of the table after Martin Odegaard's 54th-minute penalty secured a 1-0 victory over London rivals Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on August 21.
Mikel Arteta's side had kicked off proceedings with a 2-1 home win against Nottingham Forest on the opening weekend and are one of only three teams to still have a 100 per cent record in the league.
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The Cottagers are hoping to bounce back from a disappointing 3-0 defeat at home to Brentford, having got their campaign underway with a 1-0 victory over Everton on Merseyside.
Tim Ream certainly didn't help their cause against the Bees after receiving his marching orders in the 64th minute for a second bookable offence.
Declan Rice has received widespread praise for his performance against the Eagles, which came on the back of a solid debut in the clash with Forest nine days earlier. The 24-year-old defensive midfielder became the most expensive English player when the Gunners forked out a club record £105 million to acquire his signature from West Ham in July.
Alamy Stock Photo
Raul Jimenez is expected to become the focal point of Fulham's attack following the recent departure of Aleksandar Mitrovic to Al Hilal. The Mexican striker only arrived at Craven Cottage in July from Wolves, where he scored 57 goals during a five-year spell, and made his debut against the Toffees.
Arteta feels there is still plenty of work to be done, especially in an attacking sense, but is happy to be able to build upon a solid base.
Asked whether he thought the team has come close to the level he wants this season, the Spaniard replied: "No, because we have to put the ball in the net more often, especially with the dominance we are having in games.
"But that's the most difficult thing in football, so if you don't do that, you have to do the other part, which is be extremely solid. We were last week and we were again today with the chances we conceded. Let's keep playing better and evolving."
Cottagers boss Marco Silva refused to blame the referee for the defeat to Brentford, but admitted Ream's dismissal came as a surprise to him and his players.
"We were surprised by the penalty and red card. The game was finished from that moment. I think everyone should be surprised by that situation. Our players couldn't believe it," Silva said.
"They didn't see a clear and obvious error. Tim tried to go for the ball. He didn't try to take him (Yoane Wissa) as well. He doesn't do anything. It's not the referee's fault we lost the game."
Head-to-Head (Last Five Premier League Meetings)
Matches - 5
Arsenal - 4
Fulham - 0
Draws - 1
Matchday 3 fixtures:
Friday, August 25
20h00: Chelsea v Luton Town
Saturday, August 26
12h30: Bournemouth v Tottenham Hotspur
15h00: Arsenal v Fulham
15h00: Brentford v Crystal Palace
15h00: Everton v Wolverhampton Wanderers
15h00: Manchester United v Nottingham Forest
17h30: Brighton & Hove Albion v West Ham United
Sunday, August 27
14h00: Burnley v Aston Villa
14h00: Sheffield United v Manchester City
16h30: Newcastle United v Liverpool
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