Arsenal travel to Craven Cottage on Saturday afternoon to face Fulham, as the race for a top four finish enters the home stretch. The Gunners are fourth in the Premier League table but immediate rivals Chelsea and Tottenham have a game in hand over the Emirates club.

Meanwhile, Martin Jol's men have assured themselves of Premier League football for next season, barring a monumental re-shuffling at the bottom half of the table. The Cottagers are 10th with 40 points from 33 games.

Mikel Arteta
Reuters

The reverse fixture, at the Emirates, finished 3-3 and. Mikel Arteta missed a late penalty that would have given his side all three points. The last time these sides met at the Cottage was in January last year, when Fulham produced a 2-1 upset, scoring two goals in the final five minutes.

Where to Follow Live

Kick-off is scheduled for 3pm BST. Registered members and Arsenal Player day pass holders can listen to live commentary on Arsenal.com. Highlights will be on Match of the Day on BBC One and BBC One HD, from 10.30pm BST.

Overview

Fulham come into this game after the 0-3 midweek defeat to Chelsea and despite not having much to play for this season, will be keen to avoid a second consecutive home loss. More importantly, Jol will also be concerned about his side going into an end-of-season slump, believing themselves safe from relegation; the club can still, mathematically, be dumped into the Championship.

The Cottagers have won only twice in the last five games; their last win was in early April, when they beat QPR at home. Their home record in the league is reasonable, with seven wins and three draws from 16 games.

Olivier Giroud
Reuters

Arsenal, meanwhile, will attack from the outset. The Gunners face a stern test of their capabilities if they wish to qualify for the Champions League next season, with both Chelsea and Tottenham marginal favourites to take the two remaining positions.

They come into this game after a hard-fought but ultimately disappointing goalless draw against Everton, who remain in contention for a position in the UEFA Europa League next season and possibly even a surprise Champions League qualifying slot.

The good news, though, is that Arsene Wenger's men have found some excellent form late in the season. The north London club have won four of their last five games and are unbeaten, in the league, since their defeat against Spurs at White Hart Lane in March.

Arsenal's away record will provide another boost of confidence for fans, with the Gunners having won seven and drawn five of 16 games so far. Moreover, they've conceded only 14 goals on the road, the lowest in the league.

Team Form

Fulham

    • Last Five (all competitions, most recent first): L D L W W
    • Last Match: Fulham 0 - 3 Chelsea
Dimitar Berbatov
Reuters

Arsenal

    • Last Five (all competitions, most recent first): D W W W W
    • Last Match: Arsenal 0 - 0 Everton

Team News

Fulham welcome Steve Sidwell back from suspension but winger Damien Duff (abductor strain) is unavailable. Swedish winger Alexander Kacaniklic, who was on loan to Burnley, has been recalled and he will likely start in place of Duff. Emmanuel Frimpong is on loan from Arsenal and cannot face his parent club, while Ashkan Dejagah (ankle) is out for the season.

Probable Line-Up: Schwarzer; Riether, Senderos, Hangeland, Riise; Ruiz, Karagounis, Sidwell, Kacaniklic; Petric, Berbatov

Wenger is without Polish goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, which means his compatriot, Wojciech Szczesny, has another chance to impress his boss. Veteran Czech playmaker Tomas Rosicky (hamstring) and England left-back Kieran Gibbs face late fitness tests. French midfielder Abou Diaby (cruciate injury) is unavailable, but England youngster Jack Wilshere is fit and ready to make a third consecutive start.

Probable Line-Up: Szczesny; Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs; Ramsey, Arteta, Wilshere; Walcott, Giroud, Cazorla

London