Arsenal and Fulham have been facing off against one another for over a century since their first meeting in an FA Cup tie all the way back in February 1904, a game the north Londoners – then Woolwich Arsenal – won 3-2.
Football FanCast has everything you need to know as the two teams prepare to meet again in the Premier League.
Despite playing just two games of the new campaign, it's the Gunners that come into the tie in slightly better form, having won against both Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace. However, the nervy way those games concluded could give the Cottagers some encouragement.
For their part, the west Londoners kick-started their season with a brilliant 1-0 win away to Everton before succumbing to Brentford 3-0 on Saturday, losing Tim Ream to a red card in the process.
Arsenal vs Fulham: What's their head-to-head record?
Arsenal and Fulham have met 61 times since that initial clash in 1904, perhaps less often than people would've assumed. There have been some fairly large periods in which the two teams haven't met, like between 1915 and 1949, and 1968 and 2001.
The fixture has been heavily dominated by the Gunners throughout its history, with the men in red winning over two-thirds of games and drawing more than they've lost.
Arsenal wins: 42 Draws: 11 Fulham wins: 8 Arsenal vs Fulham: What's their record at Highbury/Emirates Stadium?
Arsenal have hosted their west London opponents 31 times over the years and have been utterly dominant when doing so. They've won 25 games at home – including one south of the river.
For their efforts, Fulham have managed to come away with a point on eight separate occasions, most recently in April 2021 – but have yet to record a victory when travelling to Arsenal.
It's been an incredibly one-sided affair at the home of the Gunners and helps to explain the lopsided nature of this fixture's results.
Arsenal wins: 25 Draws: 6 Fulham wins: 0 Arsenal vs Fulham: What's their record at Craven Cottage?
Fulham have had a better time of things when at home, winning eight of the 30 games played at Craven Cottage and drawing a further five.
However, the Gunners again dominate, even when away from their place. Their 17 wins are over double what their hosts have managed over the years, and so even though there is a better chance of a Fulham win, the odds remain in Arsenal's favour in west London.
Fulham wins: 8 Draws: 5 Arsenal wins: 17 Arsenal vs Fulham: What's their Premier League record?
The two teams have faced off 32 times since the inception of the Premier League, and unsurprisingly, it's three-time champions Arsenal that have been utterly dominant in that period. The north Londoners have won 23 of those meetings and drawn six.
However, Fulham have had at least some success since their first Premier League meeting in September 2001, achieving three victories, the last of which came in January 2012 courtesy of goals from Steve Sidwell and Bobby Zamora.
That said, since 2012, it has been one-way traffic, with Arsenal winning eight out of ten games and drawing only twice to take 26 of the 30 points on offer.
Arsenal vs Fulham: Which team has the most goals?
Given the sheer level of dominance when it comes to results, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise to hear that it's a similar story with the number of goals scored as well.
In their 61 meetings, the Gunners have managed to put away 136 goals, with the Cottagers only being able to reply with 66 of their own.
Unfortunately for Fulham, it doesn't get any better at home either, with the side scoring just 38 goals to Arsenal's 59.
When Arsenal host, it's been a barrage of goals from the home side. In 31 games, they've scored a massive 77 goals, whilst Fulham have only responded with 28 of their own – a ratio of 2.85 Arsenal goals for every Cottagers goal.
Arsenal vs Fulham: What happened in last season's fixtures?
Mikel Arteta's men won both fixtures against Marco Silva's outfit last season, and whilst the second game was a walk in the park, the encounter at the Emirates was a much tighter affair than many expected.
It was Fulham that opened the scoring in the second half, with Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic finding the back of the net on 56 minutes – stunning the Islington crowd.
However, it took just eight minutes for the hosts to respond thanks to a deflected shot from captain Martin Odegaard which trickled past former Gunner Bernd Leno in goal.
The following 20 minutes saw sustained pressure from the home side until Gabriel Magalhaes lashed home the winner from a corner on 86 minutes.
The return fixture was a far more relaxing affair for the Arsenal faithful as the team found themselves 3-0 to the good by half-time thanks to a hat-trick of assists from January signing Leandro Trossard.
It was a goalless affair in the second 45, as with the match all but sewn up, there was no need to push their luck. Silva will be hoping his side can enact some revenge this weekend and come away with at least a point this time around.
Arsenal vs Fulham: What is Gabriel Martinelli's record?
Not many players in the current Arsenal squad have played many games against the Cottagers, as Arteta has completely overhauled the squad following his arrival in late 2019.
That said, Martinelli has a good record against Fulham, having played three games against the side, winning two of them, drawing one and scoring in the team's 3-0 demolition of the side earlier this year.
Arsenal vs Fulham: What is Raul Jimenez's record?
Jimenez has faced the Gunners eight times in his career, all in the Premier League for his former side Wolverhampton Wanderers.
In those eight games, he has emerged on the victorious side twice, with one point another two times and leaving empty-handed on four occasions. The 32-year-old has scored one goal and provided one assist for his teammates in those eight games.
However, with no goal or assist against Arsenal in his last five games against them, Fulham probably shouldn't expect too much from the Mexico international.
Arsenal vs Fulham: What is Arsenal's biggest win?
Arsenal's record win over Fulham is 5-1 – a result they have managed twice in their 61 meetings with their London rivals.
The first instance was a home game in the old First Division that saw inside forward Doug Lishman score a hat-trick alongside goals from Alex Forbes and Peter Goring back in the 1950/51 campaign.
Of course, most Arsenal fans will have a far better memory of the game at Craven Cottage in October 2018, when Unai Emery was still in the dugout.
Despite taking the lead on 29 minutes thanks to a strike from Alexandre Lacazette, the two sides went in on level terms at half-time following a 44th-minute equaliser from Andre Schurrle.
The second half was a total rout, however, with the Gunners playing some incredibly silky football and putting another four past Marcus Bettinelli to no reply.
Both Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Lacazette scored a brace that day, but Aaron Ramsey's goal is perhaps remembered most fondly for the outstanding build-up play and passing that led to it.
Arsenal vs Fulham: What is Fulham's biggest win?
Despite often being on the losing end of encounters with their cross-city rivals, Fulham has actually got the biggest win out of the two sides, and it came all the way back in November 1913 when both teams were in the old Second Division.
It was the first league encounter between the two sides after Arsenal had beaten the Cottagers 3-2 in the FA Cup nine years earlier, and it ended 6-1 to the home side in front of a crowd of around 35,000 fans.
Arsenal vs Fulham: What are the recent results?
Across the last six meetings between these two sides, it has been all Arsenal. The most recent game – taking place in mid-March – finished 3-0 to the visiting Gunners and was a completely one-sided affair from start to finish.
The game prior to that was a more tightly contested encounter, with Arsenal relying on an 86th-minute winner to claim all three points.
However, the match before that – in April 2021 – ended in a draw thanks to a 59th-minute penalty from Josh Maja and an incredibly late 90th-minute equaliser from Eddie Nketiah.
Arsenal vs Fulham: When is it?
Arsenal host Fulham on Saturday 26th August at 3pm UK time. Whilst it might not be one of the most prominent fixtures in the league, it is still a London derby and one that both sides will be desperate to win for very different reasons.
The Gunners go into it with two wins under their belt, however, with tactical changes being made by Arteta, they haven't looked anywhere near their flowing best and will look to make a statement with a big home win in front of their supporters.
It'll also be the perfect opportunity for Kai Havertz to justify his hefty price tag to the Arsenal faithful after failing to register a goal or assist in his first two league games.
On the other hand, Fulham will be looking to bounce back from their defeat to Brentford and maintain their push to stay in the top flight for another year.
The Cottagers, too, have a new signing that will be looking to prove his worth to the wider league in Raul Jimenez. The Mexican has come in to fill the void of Mitrovic, who has joined Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Hilal.
The ex-Wolves ace will have to perform brilliantly to get anything out of this Arsenal team at home.
With both clubs looking nervously at either end of the table, this clash should be an exciting one to watch and could be precisely what the sides need to springboard their respective campaigns.
