Arsenal's defeat to Fulham in August was as painful as it was unexpected but this Saturday Arsène Wenger's men will have their chance for revenge. This season Arsenal.com will be identifying the key battles for the game. We will bring you all the statistics and information a fan could need so swot up now and come Saturday you will be impressing anyone who will listen with your new-found knowledge.
Robin van Persie v Brede Hangeland
Brede Hangeland’s 21st-minute strike was enough for Fulham to inflict Arsenal’s first defeat of the season back in August. It signalled the start of a terrific first season in England for the Norwegian captain who has swiftly emerged as one of the Premier League’s best central defenders. But he won’t have faced much stiffer opposition than Robin van Persie, who has netted or created every Arsenal goal scored while he has been on the pitch in 2009.
| Robin van Persie | Brede Hangeland | |
| Appearances | 22 | 24 |
| Minutes Played | 1736 | 2160 |
| Assists | 7 | 1 |
|
Clearances |
4 | 43 |
| Successful dribbles | 7 | 5 |
| Unsuccessful dribbles | 6 | 2 |
| Goals scored | 9 | 1 |
| Complete passes | 82 | 93 |
| Incomplete passes | 43 | 60 |
| Shots on target | 34 | 4 |
| Shots off target | 40 | 5 |
| Tackles won | 4 | 22 |
| Tackles lost | 11 | 6 |
Kolo Toure v Andrew Johnson
Vitally for Fulham, Andrew Johnson has managed to stay fit for the majority of this season and has struck six times for the Cottagers - although the ex-Everton frontman is yet to find the net on the road. On Saturday he could face Kolo Toure who has won an outstanding 86 per cent of his tackles.
| Kolo Toure | Andrew Johnson | |
| Appearances | 18 | 21 |
| Minutes played | 1334 | 1865 |
| Assists | 0 | 2 |
| Successful dribbles | 4 | 12 |
| Unsuccessful dribbles | 4 | 8 |
| Goals scored | 0 | 6 |
| Complete passes | 70 | 72 |
| Incomplete passes | 29 | 43 |
| Shots on target | 9 | 32 |
| Shots off target | 8 | 8 |
| Hit woodwork | 0 | 0 |
| Tackles won | 13 | 3 |
| Tackles lost | 2 | 4 |
Bacary Sagna v Simon Davies
Bacary Sagna could come up against the in-form Simon Davies down Fulham’s left-hand side on Saturday. The Frenchman trumps his opponent in the dribbling and passing stakes but interestingly, is matched by the Welshman in tackling. Davies’ five assists make him Fulham’s No 1 goal architect this season.
| Bacary Sagna | Simon Davies | |
|
Appearances |
24 | 25 |
| Minutes played | 2000 | 2219 |
| Assists | 0 | 5 |
| Successful dribbles | 6 | 7 |
| Unsuccessful dribbles | 3 | 7 |
| Complete passes | 108 | 106 |
| Incomplete passes | 53 | 61 |
| Shots on target | 6 | 9 |
| Shots off target | 3 | 20 |
| Tackles won | 19 | 23 |
| Tackles lost | 9 | 11 |
