GUNNERS PREVIEW: Early season win sparked Fulham's fine run
Arsenal v Fulham The Emirates Stadium Saturday, kick-off 3pm Fulham s early season 1-0 victory over Arsenal set the tone for the Cottagers most successful top flight season in more than 40 years – for now. The west Londoners, who share the same SW6
Arsenal v Fulham
The Emirates Stadium
Saturday, kick-off 3pm
Fulham's early season 1-0 victory over Arsenal set the tone for the Cottagers' most successful top flight season in more than 40 years - for now.
The west Londoners, who share the same SW6 postcode as Chelsea, if not the same monster finances as their neighbours, have worked on a relatively tight budget in a bid to preserve their Premier League status.
Their task was made harder in January when midfielder Jimmy Bullard baulked at their new contract offer and moved to Hull City for �5m. Injury has since put paid to his season.
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Manager Roy Hodgson loosened the purse strings in the summer to splash out on a new strike duo of Andrew Johnson and Bobby Zamora.
Both scored in last week's 2-0 win over bottom club West Brom, a result which propelled Fulham into eighth place.
But the pair have generally struggled with Zamora's strike, only his second in the league this season - and his first since September. Former Everton and Crystal Palace striker Johnson, who has been capped for England, has fared slightly better with six in 21.
That victory was their eighth at Craven Cottage. In fact, they have lost just once on their own pitch all season. It's a different story away from home - and will give Arsenal good reason to believe they can end their goal drought - with no wins on the road and only six points earned out of a possible 39. A limp 3-0 loss at Manchester United in their last league trip brought accusations of a lack of effort.
They may want to prove some of those critics wrong when they visit Emirates, where they lost 2-1 last season, on Saturday.
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