Friday 27 February 2009

Watch Arsenal v Fulham Online - Live HD Stream


Arsenal v Fulham
PREMIER LEAGUEVenue: Emirates Stadium Date: Saturday, 28 February Kick-off: 1500 GMT









Arsenal will have Abou Diaby available following a calf problem and William Gallas has recovered from a knock, but Eduardo is out with a hamstring injury.
Theo Walcott (shoulder), Tomas Rosicky (hamstring), Mikael Silvestre (calf), Emmanuel Adebayor (hamstring) and Cesc Fabregas (knee) are all sidelined.
Fulham striker Andy Johnson is set to return after a knock meant he was rested for the FA Cup win over Swansea.
Frederik Stoor will replace the suspended John Pantsil at right-back.
Arsenal (from): Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Arshavin, Denilson, Diaby, Nasri, van Persie, Bendtner, Fabianski, Eboue, Djourou, Gibbs, Song, Ramsey, Vela.
Fulham (from): Schwarzer, Hughes, Konchesky, Hangeland, Johnson, Zamora, Nevland, Gera, Murphy, Kamara, Gray, Zuberbuhler, Stoor, Dempsey, Davies, Brown, Smalling, Kallio, Barnes, Dacourt.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger:"In football, nothing is unthinkable, but I am confident we will make the Champions League.
"There are 12 games to go. If we keep our consistency, spirit and attitude, and our focus, we will make it.
"It is down to us to be consistent. We have 36 points to take, so lets not speculate too much on the weakness of any other team. If we win our games, we will be there."
Fulham Roy Hodgson: "You are in the Premier League to play against teams like these.
"They win most of their home games at least against the teams who are not competing for the top four spots.
"We are the cannon fodder for the big guns that we are playing, so we are the underdogs.
"But we do not regard ourselves as cannon fodder but as genuine opponents. If we play well we can upset the apple cart."
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BIG-MATCH FACTS
Having secured a 1-0 lead to take to Roma for the return leg of the last 16 Champions League clash, Arsenal now resume playing catch-up to qualify for next season's top European club competition. They currently have a six point deficit on the top four with 12 to play.
Fulham, meanwhile overcame a scare against Swansea, to land a home tie in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup against Manchester United.
The Gunners have lost ground because of four successive draws, the last three being goalless. They have not drawn five in a row since February 1994. They last registered four consecutive Premier League no score draws earlier in that same season, throughout October 1993.
Arsenal are defending an unbeaten home record against Fulham in all competitions, and are chasing a fifth successive home victory over them.
The Cottagers are in the top eight, despite not managing an away win.
Both these clubs have drawn nine league games, and kept 10 clean sheets. Fulham's stalemates include an unmatched six goalless draws.
This match pits the side to have scored the most goals in the last 10 minutes against the one to have scored the least; Arsenal have netted 12, Fulham two.
Fulham won the reverse fixture, but have obviously never done the double over the Gunners.
Distance between the clubs: 10 miles (16 kilometres)Fulham will be making the shortest journey of any club in this weekend's round of Premier League matches.
CLUB FORM
ARSENAL
Club stats
5th 45 pointsHighest achievable after Saturday's matches: 5thLowest could fall: 5th
Best & Worst categories in 2008-09 Premier League
1. Undefeated in 14 in all competitions.
2. Unbeaten in 12 Premier League matches; won five and drawn seven since losing 3-0, away to Manchester City on 22 November.
3. 18 points down on this same stage last season.
4. One of three clubs still holding an unbeaten Premier League record in 2009; the others are Manchester United and Liverpool.
5. Need to score twice to total 100 league goals at the Emirates Stadium, since their first match there against Aston Villa on 19 August 2006, a 1-1 draw.
6. Undefeated in six home league games, and not conceded in the last four of them, nor in 407 minutes (six hours 47 minutes) since Robbie Keane equalised for Liverpool in the 1-1 draw on 21 December.
7. Aston Villa were the most recent, and only the second club this season, to take away maximum points from the Emirates; a 0-2 victory on 15 November.
8. Top the Premier League table of London derbies this season with nine points, from two wins, three draws and one defeat (to Fulham).
9. Their 11 league fixtures after this include matches against all three of the other so-called 'Big Four' clubs; away to Liverpool and Manchester United, with a home game against Chelsea in between.
Fixtures
FULHAM
Club stats
8th 33 pointsHighest achievable after Saturday's matches: 7thLowest could mathematically fall: 9th
Best & Worst categories in 2008-09 Premier League
1. Won two of eight Premier League matches; those two victories in the last four league outings.
2. Won the last two, against West Brom in the league and Swansea in the FA Cup - both at Craven Cottage.
3. Not recorded successive victories in 13 Premier League outings, since beating Newcastle and Tottenham on 9 and 15 November respectively, both at home.
4. Not won a Premier League match when the opposition score first; drawn two and lost seven of the nine.
5. Up by 14 points on this same stage last season. The current tally of 33 points after 25 games is their best return for five years.
6. One of two clubs without an away win in this top-flight campaign; won only 19 of 146 away games in Premier League history, and statistically the third weakest team on their top-flight travels this term.
7. Scored only three league goals on the road.
8. Won two, drawn two and lost two of this season's London Premier League derbies, and second best club in such matches this season with those eight points. However, they have won only two of their last 21 top-flight matches against fellow clubs from the capital.
9. All four of the 'Big Four' clubs are still to be played starting with this match. Manchester United and Liverpool are yet to be hosted, and local rivals Chelsea to be visited.
Fixtures
KEY PLAYER NOTES
ARSENAL
Squad profiles
Robin VAN PERSIE is the club's top Premier League scorer with nine goals.
Manuel ALMUNIA has started in goal for every one of Arsenal's Premier League games this season.
If selected:-
Carlos VELA will be playing on the eve of his 20th birthday.
Alexandre SONG will be making his 50th Premier League appearance in Arsenal colours.
FULHAM
Squad profiles
Aaron HUGHES and Mark SCHWARZER have played every minute of every one of Fulham's Premier League matches this season.
Andrew JOHNSON is the club's top Premier League scorer with six goals.
If selected:-
Bobby ZAMORA will be making his 300th career league appearance (Bristol Rovers, Brighton, Tottenham, West Ham and Fulham).
If on the field from the outset:-
Paul KONCHESKY will be making his 250th club career start (Charlton, Tottenham, West Ham and Fulham).
Chris BAIRD will be making his 100th career league start (Southampton, Walsall, Watford and Fulham).
Julian GRAY was an Arsenal trainee.
Suspended:-
John PANTSIL (one match)
HEAD TO HEAD
Arsenal's impressive home record against Fulham is won 20, drawn two and lost none of 22 league and cup fixtures.
The reverse fixture in August was only the second time Roy Hodgson had steered a side to Premier League victory over Arsenal in his managerial career. The first was Blackburn's 1-3 victory at Highbury on 13 December 1997.
Fulham have scored exactly 50 league goals against Arsenal in their history; the Gunners need to score five times to total 100 against the Cottagers.
Home and awayLeague (inc PL): Arsenal 30 wins, Fulham 7, Draws 6Prem: Arsenal 12 wins, Fulham 2, Draws 1
at Arsenal onlyLeague (inc PL): Arsenal 19 wins, Fulham 0, Draws 2Prem: Arsenal 6 wins, Fulham 0, Draws 1
LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME
Arsenal 2-1 Fulham12 August 2007 - Ref: Philip Dowd Arsenal scorers: Van Persie 84 pen, Hleb 90Fulham scorer: Healy 1
THIS SEASON'S REVERSE FIXTURE
Fulham 1-0 Arsenal23 August 2008 - Ref: Martin Atkinson Fulham scorer: Hangeland 21
REFEREE
Peter Walton (Northamptonshire)