“They are a top side, no doubt" - PL manager names 4 Arsenal stars that 'can punish any team' in the country

Fulham manager Marco Silva has heaped praise on four Arsenal stars ahead of their Premier League clash at Craven Cottage on Sunday, December 31.

The Gunners are engaged in another title race after missing out on the prize last season to Manchester City by five points. They are second in the table after 19 games this season, two points behind Liverpool.

Mikel Arteta's side will next face another London rivals Fulham at Craven Cottage. Ahead of the game, Silva lauded Arsenal, particularly naming Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard. He also acknowledged Oleksandr Zinchenko's contribution, saying (via Mirror):

“They are a top side, no doubt. Their defensive organisation is really good and with their positional attack it means they can perform at the highest level. They have the capacity to push a team back really low and it is difficult to press them really high because when they beat the pressure they are a tough team to face."

Silva added:

“(Oleksandr) Zinchenko gives them quality with an extra man in the middle and the likes of (Gabriel) Martinelli, (Bukayo) Saka, (Martin) Odegaard and (Kai) Havertz are a threat and can punish any team in this country.

Silva spoke about what Fulham need to do to get a positive result against Arsenal, adding:

"We need to be well organised and stick together in certain moments. They are pressing us, putting us under pressure in moments and when we have the ball we have to express ourselves as well.”

The Gunners come into the game on the back of a 2-0 defeat against West Ham United at the Emirates. Meanwhile, 13th-placed Fulham lost 3-0 against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium in their last game.

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Arsenal hoping to end 2023 on a high after recent slump

Mikel Arteta's side started the 2023-24 season brilliantly, losing just once in their 15 Premier League games. While they were eliminated from the EFL Cup Round of 16 by West Ham United, they did well in the league title race.

However, Arsenal seem to have faced a slump in recent times, having won just twice in their last five games across competitions. They lost 1-0 against Aston Villa at Villa Park before drawing 1-1 at PSV Eindhoven in the UEFA Champions League.

The Gunners then bounced back to beat Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0 at the Emirates before drawing 1-1 against Liverpool at Anfield. They then lost 2-0 against West Ham United in their last game at home.

The recent results have seen Arsenal concede their summit position to Liverpool in the standings. They will hope to end the year with a win against Fulham to avoid slipping further.