English Premier
2013-04-20 - Fulham vs Arsenal
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: English Premier League
Saturday 20 April 2013 - Kick Off 3pm
Fulham
The whole of Craven Cottage must have been disappointed with the manner of the 0-3 loss to Chelsea during the week even if the performance was certainly not as bad as the result may have indicated. With just a few games to go this season, there is still the motivation for the side to finish as high in the table as possible, while they will want to rectify the midweek result with what looks like a perfect game on paper.
Fulham are 10th in the Premier League and have already moved onto the magical 40 point mark which should signify safety in the top flight. One disappointment of the season so far is that Fulham have lost some of their toughness at Craven Cottage this season, going 7-3-6 so far while scoring 25 goals and conceding 22.
The side have also failed to win any of their last 3 Premier League games and have lost 2 of 3 now thanks to the defeat to Chelsea. The loss to Chelsea was also the second that Fulham have suffered in their last 6 home games in the Premier League and they have particularly struggled against the top sides. Arsenal are the last of the top five teams in the Premier League to visit Craven Cottage this season and Fulham have lost the previous 4 games.
Steve Sidwell returns from suspension to make Fulham a little tougher in the middle of the park, but Damien Duff remains absent.
Arsenal
It was a tough, testing battle for Arsenal on Tuesday night, but the eventual failure to break down Everton cost the side two points and leaves them in a vulnerable position when it comes to finishing in the top four. After promising to invest in the playing squad this off-season, Arsenal can't afford to not be playing Champions League football if they are to attract the sort of players that the fans are demanding.
The draw with Everton coupled with Chelsea's win at Fulham means Arsenal have dropped to 4th in the Premier League table and they only have 2 points more than Tottenham Hotspur who also have a game in hand. That makes this game very important for Arsenal to keep Spurs at arms length as they take a 7-5-4 away record across London. The side have scored 22 goals and conceded 14 in those games.
Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 6 games in all competitions, although they had won 5 in a row before the draw with Everton. They have won 3 straight away games in all competitions, scoring 2 goals in each win, and they have now won 5 of their last 6 on their travels with the only exception being a 2-1 loss at White Hart Lane.
Lukasz Fabianski is missing again for Arsenal with a rib injury. Tomas Rosicky may return to the squad, but there are no new injury worries.
Head to Head
Arsenal and Fulham played out an entertaining 3-3 draw at the Emirates Stadium earlier this season.
Fulham have only lost 1 of their last 4 home games against Arsenal including a 2-1 win over them last season.
Prediction
I thought Fulham would have been good enough to get a draw with Chelsea and they were certainly looking the better of the teams until David Luiz scored an absolutely world class goal.
Fulham haven't been as strong at home as they have in recent seasons, particularly when it comes to the better teams in the League, but they may be able to take advantage of an Arsenal team that are a little battered and bruised.
Taking the home side with the Asian Handicap start is my call.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Fulham 1-1 Arsenal
