Starting today’s blog the night before, as I’ve got an early start tomorrow/today because of a cousin who decided a 7am tee time was an acceptable approach to a round of golf on a Saturday morning.

He’s a Spurs fan too, which probably explains it: they are all completely mentally unhinged.

Anyway, as I say, this is coming to you as a partial ‘pen some thoughts before bed’ so please excuse any typos, incoherent written babbling, etc, etc. actually, come to think of it, it’ll most likely be the usual fare, so as you were, I guess.

Anyway, to today, in which we face off against Fulham and I have to tell you, I have the butterflies about this game. That probably isn’t anything new to regular readers of my nonsense, but I do worry about what Fulham could deliver to us by way of a performance today. This team are no mugs; Marcos Silva has them playing an organised, well-thought-out, disciplined brand of football and they have already amassed the kind of points tally you’d expect of a seasoned mid table team.

On matchday one they surprised everyone by holding Liverpool but on matchday two they held a difficult to beat Wolves team to a 0-0 on their own turf. They beat Brentford at home last weekend and that’s five points from their opening three to keep them undefeated.

On paper this should be a game that we should be looking to drop Fulham quite easily, but they are an impressive side, they will play to the strengths of Mitrovic and he will cause us problems tomorrow for sure. They will play aggressive, they will be physical, they will look to unsettle us in any way possible and we have to be ready for that threat. We may have a good record home and away against Fulham, but the last time they were at the Emirates it took a last minute goal to draw an equaliser and stop it from being a big scalp for the Cottagers.

That’s what we need to be wary of tomorrow; a Fulham first goal and parking the bus. If we aren’t fully switched on then they have the capabilities to hurt us, as any team does in this league.

What I’m looking for from an Arsenal perspective is that razor-sharp focus that we’ve seen in large chunks of this season and pre season so far. We have started games with a tenacity about us that has made me think that we have a drive about us that perhaps didn’t exist last season. Or at least I hope that is the case and I’m not just overstating the impact the start of the season has made. But it has been a great impact, right? I mean, I know our opponents haven’t exactly been the best teams in the league, but we’ve still done what we needed to do. So today we also need to do what we need to do and that is get the result and three points.

The good news is that the team is all but fully fit – Reiss Nelson aside – so Arteta can make a pick on a strong squad and to my mind that means the same XI to play that bulldozed Bournemouth. This opponent will be tougher than last weeks newly promoted side, but if we have our focus, our drive, the will to impose our game and a high press that sustains pressure in their half from the first minute, one hopes that we can get the necessary goals to grab the three points. We won’t have it all our own way this season, but let’s hope that as the sun continues to shine on the Emirates tomorrow, it can be a good day out for the home supporters.

In terms of how we line up, I doubt there will be any changes, because I suspect Arteta will be mindful of breaking a winning formula. The game on Wednesday might be one in which he has a slight shuffle, but today needs to see that same XI. Fulham will attempt to go long and our big back line will need to deal with that but I suspect we’ll see Zinchenko targeted today. He’s looked superb in our set up so far this season but there have been flashes that he can be ‘got at’ and so I think Fulham will look at our left hand side as their big opportunity to upset us – I just had a check of WhoScored and against Brentford 45% of their attack came down Fulham’s right.

In their last game Pereira was their star man and most of the play was dictated by him, but whether that is the case today remains to be seen, because he’ll sit in behind Mitrovic I suspect.

We need to impose our game though and that is something Arteta stressed in his press conference yesterday. We need to make the most of the balance in our side and lean in to the little partnerships all over the pitch; Martinelli/Jesus, Ødegaard/Saka, Zinchenko/Xhaka – these combinations need to click if we’re going to win today. Attack down the left when we can, but don’t be afraid to switch it to that right. I think we have done that so far. The second Ødegaard goal last weekend came from moving that ball out wide to the right and then the overlap of White. The first goal came when Jesus put Martinelli in, so what we need to see is an Arsenal team flexible and fluid in attack and not afraid to attack in different ways and sides of the pitch.

You cannot take anything for granted in this league and I certainly don’t think Arteta will be doing that, but the team needs to be up for it from the start, because we have a fantastic opportunity to stretch the winning run. We’ve started quickly and scored early in all of our matches this season and that is what we have to hope for today.

Fingers crossed we get the performance and the result and we can continue to build our so far positive momentum.

Catch you all tomorrow.