3 talking points ahead of Arsenal vs Fulham

Arsenal return to action following a 16-day break with a home clash against London rivals Fulham on Tuesday night.

The Gunners scraped a 1-0 win over Fulham's fellow west Londoners Chelsea in their last outing. Mikel Merino netted the only goal as he met Martin Odegaard's corner with a neat header that looped over Robert Sanchez and into the back of the net.

As Arsenal look to mark their return from a lengthy break with a crucial win, there are three key talking points ahead of their matchup with Fulham.

1. Building momentum

It's still painful to write this despite it being fact for so long, but the Premier League title race is over. Arsenal's chances are incredibly slim even if us fans have our fingers crossed for a near impossible Liverpool collapse. With that said, the game against Fulham is more about building momentum for the Gunners.

Next week sees Mikel Arteta's side come face to face with Real Madrid in the first leg of a blockbuster Champions League quarter-final tie. There is no denying this will be an incredibly difficult game so Arsenal will need all the momentum possible heading into that.

I am not one for focusing on other games when there is a different one to play but the Arsenal squad must keep their UCL campaign in mind when they step out to face Fulham on Tuesday. A win would build serious momentum, as well as acting as a great morale booster for the side. The Cottagers will make tough opposition however, so the Gunners must be on their A-game.

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