Good afternoon and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of The Premier League, as Arsenal welcome Fulham to the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners lie seventh in the league having made their worst start to a domestic campaign under Arsene Wenger.
They have lost three of their last five fixtures, including last weekend's 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford.
A late Steve Sidwell strike earned a draw for Martin Jol's men in their last game at home to Everton.
The Cottagers have not won away at Arsenal in 26 attempts, losing on 22 occasions.
You can follow the action as it unfolds with us below. Please note that kickoff is 3pm.
Good afternoon readers of Sports Mole! Welcome to our coverage of Arsenal's clash with Fulham at the Emirates Stadium. A win could see either team into fourth place by the end of today, if results were to go their way. The Gunners sorely need to get their season back on track, while Fulham will probably take a point if you ask them now. The Cottagers have not won here in 26 attempts, but that run has a decent chance of ending today.
We have some team news for you folks...
Mannone; Sagna, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Vermaelen; Coquelin, Arteta, Cazorla, Walcott; Podolski; Giroud
Schwarzer; Riether, Hangeland, Hughes, Riise; Dejagah, Baird, Sidwell, Richardson; Ruiz, Berbatov
So Francis Coquelin gets a start in midfield alongside Mikel Arteta. Santi Cazorla and Theo Walcott will most likely operate behind Olivier Giroud, as will Lukas Podolski.
Bryan Ruiz and Dimitar Berbatov partner each other in Fulham's attack. Ashkan Dejagah starts in midfield for Martin Jol, in an otherwise unsurprising lineup.
Click here for a more detailed summary of today's lineups.
Arsenal have hit a rocky patch of late, which has seen them win just two matches since demolishing Southampton 6-1 at the Emirates midway through September.
They have had success in the League Cup and Europe in the space, defeating Olympiakos and Reading; the latter being a thrilling7-5 victory having battled back from 4-0 down. However, Arsenal also suffered their first defeat at the Emirates in the Champions League, falling 2-0 to Schalke. Arsene Wenger's men earned a point in the return fixture against the German team on Tuesday.
As already stated, Fulham have not won on their travels to this part of north London. They go into the game on level points with Arsenal and a real chance of scoring a win.
The players are out on the pitch now and we're just moments away from kickoff.
This is the only 3pm kickoff that Sports Mole is covering today, but we will have all the action from the late game, which sees Aston Villa host Manchester United.
We also have all the action from the ATP World Tour Finals. Roger Federer and Juan Martin del Potro are currently slugging it out for the first set in London's the O2 Arena.
We have just had an impeccably observed minute silence in honour of Remembrance Sunday, but now it's down to action. Fulham get this game underway.
Fulham have knocked it around at the back for the first couple of minutes, giving plenty of players an early touch.
SHOT! Ruiz has a go at goal and it deflects wide for a corner. Fulham have had all of the ball so far. I can't remember an Arsenal player having a touch yet!
Arsenal have wrestled the ball from the visitors and are trying to string together a few passes of their own.
Fulham are trying to keep the ball on the deck at all costs, resisting the chance to bomb it forward. But when you have technically skilled forwards such as Berbatov and Ruiz it's wasteful to just punt it long.
GOAL! GIROUD HEADS THE OPENER!
The Frenchman meets Walcott's corner at the front post to give the Gunners the lead!
Arsenal go forward with Cazorla and Podolski, but the German blazes his effort over the bar.
Fulham are still finding each other well, but can't seem to find any space. Arsenal are keeping their shape without the ball and are closing down effectively.
So it's another goal for Giroud, and it was a fine header. He had to arch his head backwards to get the angle on it, but he used the pace on it to power past Schwarzer. He'll be pleased with that one to go with his strike in midweek.
Kieron Richardson has pulled up and it looks like he's done his hamstring. He's limped off to polite applause.
GOAL! PODOLSKI MAKES IT 2-0!
Riether couldn't prevent Arteta from finding his way to the byline and cutting the ball back for Podolski to smash home first time with his left foot.
Alexander Kacaniklic is going to replace the injured Richardson
Fulham have a corner.
GOAL! BERBATOV FINDS HIMSELF UNMARKED AND GETS FULHAM BACK IN THIS GAME!
That was dire marking by Arsenal. Berbatov was in the middle of the goal and just yards out. It was a simple task to nod home.
Arsenal have a free kick on the left, which Walcott will take.
It's a poor one. He tried to drill it along the floor, but deceived no one.
Ruiz stands over a free kick on right right. He whips it in with his left foot but it's headed away.
GOAL! KACANIKLIC DRAWS FULHAM LEVEL!
Berbatov sent in a cross from the right and it was a tremendous header by the Swede, although Mannone got a hand to it and might feel that he should have kept it out. But it's 2-2 here at the Emirates and Fulham have well and truly found their feet now!
We're going to have two minutes of time added on at the end of the first half.
CHANCE! Fulham nearly get their noses in front! Riise burst down the left and Arsenal are caught short at the back. The Norwegian sent in a cross for Dejagah, who could only get a toe to it. The ball squirms across the goal mouth but no Fulham player is there to tap in. Mertesacker gets to the ball first and puts it behind for a corner.
Arsenal 2-2 Fulham
An entertaining first half at the Emirates comes to a close. Fulham will be the happier camp having come from two goals behind. They have a genuine shout of winning this game now, and the Arsenal crowd might just be showing signs of restlessness already.
Elsewhere in the Premier League:
Everton 0-1 Sunderland
Reading 0-0 Norwich City
Southampton 0-0 Swansea City
Stoke City 0-0 QPR
Wigan 1-2 West Brom
Everton 0-1 Sunderland
Reading 0-0 Norwich City
Southampton 0-0 Swansea City
Stoke City 0-0 QPR
Wigan 1-2 West Brom
Roger Federer and Juan Martin del Potro are currently in a deciding set in their final round robin match at the ATP World Tour Finals at the O2 Arena.
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Click here for the Half-Time Report of this match.
Arsenal get the second half underway.
The game has settled into a similar pattern from the first half.
CHANCE! Walcott gets down the right and sends a cross into the box, but Giroud can't get his head on it. It looked like he got up too early.
SHOT! Dejagah tees up Ruiz from 20 yards out, but the Costa Rican pulls his left-footed shot wide of Mannone's goal.
SHOT! Walcott darts between Baird and Sidwell and runs at the heart of Fulham's defence, however his left-footed shot drifts wide.
Francis Coquelin makes way for Aaron Ramsey
Kacakilic dispossesses Ramsey and makes his way into the Arsenal area, before trying to cut the ball back for Berbatov. Great play by the Swede.
Hmmm, a slight moment of controversy there. Sidwell committed a foul and it looked as if Phil Dowd was going to issue him with a second yellow card. However, the ref seemed to hesitate for a second before showing the card to a puzzled-looking Aaron Ramsey.
Walcott nearly gets in behind the Fulham defence but his shot is blocked for a corner.
PENALTY TO FULHAM!
Phil Dowd points straight to the spot as Arteta hauls down Ruiz. The Spaniard had two good handfulls of Ruiz's shirt. Correct decision!
GOAL! BERBATOV COOLLY SLOTS PAST A STATIC MANNONE!
SHOT! Walcott tries to reply instantly but shoots straight down Schwarzer's throat.
SHOT! Fulham have a bit of space in Arsenal's half now as the Gunners commit more men forward. Kacaniklic had a go but Mannone was equal to his effort.
GOAL! GIROUD GRABS HIS SECOND OF THE GAME!
It's another great header for the Frenchman and Arsenal are back on level terms. The Emirates has found its voice once more!
Vermaelen does well down the left and drifts inside, finding Cazorla. Fulham are all over the Spaniard as he winds up to shoot, though.
The game is quite open. There's a winner in this for someone...
HAT-TRICK WATCH Kacaniklic slips in Berbatov but Koscielny stands up to the Bulgarian. That was a half-decent chance to take the match ball.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain comes on for Lukas Podolski
SAVE! Giroud wriggles free on the edge of the area and thunders a shot at goal, but Schwarzer beats it away.
Fulham nearly catch Arsenal out at the back. Kacaniklic played in Dejagah but the youngster delayed his shot for too long and the chance went begging.
Giroud tries to knock the ball down for Ramsey inside the area. It was a difficult task, but he did it well. He looks a real threat in the air, the Frenchman. Ramsey was unable to beat Hangeland to the knockdown, however.
Theo Walcott is coming off and will be replaced by Andrei Arshavin
Damien Duff comes on for Ashkan Dejagah
Is there going to be a twist at the end of this game? It's by no means beyond the realms of possibility, the game is still rather open.
Hangeland towers high to meet a corner, but cannot direct his header on goal.
HAT-TRICK WATCH Giroud is unmarked as Sagna finds him with a cross but he mistimes his header and Schwarzer sees it harmlessly wide.
We're going to have four minutes of injury time.
Sidwell heads the ball out of Schwarzer's hands and behind for a corner.
Arteta can't find a way through the sea of bodies in the area.
Corner to Arsenal.
Schwarzer claws it away but Arsenal retain possession.
PENALTY TO ARSENAL! HANDBALL BY RIETHER!
Rither had his arms were by his side and there was nothing he could do. How unfortunate...
Arteta to take it...
SAVED!
AND THAT'S THE FINAL KICK OF THE GAME! SCHWARZER IS THE HERO FOR FULHAM!
Arsenal 3-3 Fulham
What an end to this contest. The Aussie made a brilliant save down to his left to deny Arteta claiming the points for Arsenal. The Fulham squad are elated, and rightly so. They fully deserve their point.
Written by
Michael Penkman
Michael Penkman
