Arsenal v Fulham: Line-ups, stats and preview

Arsenal return to Premier League action with a London derby against Fulham at the Emirates, aiming to re-establish a six-point lead at the top of the table.

Mikel Arteta’s side head into this fixture off the back of a 1-1 draw away to Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final, a result that keeps them firmly in contention ahead of the return leg in North London.

Domestically, Arsenal ended a brief dip in form with a narrow 1-0 win over Newcastle last time out, maintaining their position at the summit.

Fulham, meanwhile, arrive after a 1-0 win over Aston Villa. That result ended a short run of attacking struggles, but Marco Silva’s side have still only scored four goals across their last seven matches in all competitions.

Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 32 home league matches against Fulham, a record that underlines the scale of the task facing the visitors in this encounter.

Team news for Arsenal v Fulham

Arsenal could be without Kai Havertz, who is a major doubt due to a muscular issue, while Jurrien Timber and Mikel Merino remain sidelined.

Eberechi Eze is expected to be available after recovering quickly from a knock, and Bukayo Saka could return to the starting lineup after featuring off the bench in midweek.

Riccardo Calafiori is also pushing for a start after returning to fitness.

Fulham have concerns over Ryan Sessegnon, who was forced off injured last time out, while Alex Iwobi is unavailable due to a thigh problem.

Kenny Tete and Kevin are also working their way back to full fitness, but Antonee Robinson is ready to step in if required.

Expected line-ups for Arsenal v Fulham