Marco Silva is confident that his Fulham squad can respond well to their FA Cup exit by securing a positive result against Arsenal this Tuesday.
The Cottagers are navigating through the disappointment of their 3-0 quarter-final defeat to Crystal Palace on Saturday, shifting focus back to Premier League action with an upcoming visit to the Emirates Stadium. Despite the close succession of matches, Silva stands firm in the belief that his team, who have avoided defeat in their previous three encounters with Mikel Arteta's side, can rebound from the setback at Palace.
"We had Saturday afternoon to cry and be sad but from yesterday we prepare for Arsenal and the games are coming thick and fast after the international break," the Fulham boss said.
"We have things to fight for, I believe if we are at our best level we can respond very well."
Arsenal, who are 12 points behind Premier League pace-setters Liverpool, have progressed to the Champions League quarter-finals to confront Real Madrid in their quest for a first piece of silverware since 2020. They will face a tenacious Fulham team who forced a 1-1 stalemate in their earlier encounter this season at Craven Cottage.
Arsenal will boast fresher legs than their fellow Londoners having last played on March 16 in their 1-0 win over Chelsea. “They don’t just have individual quality but also collective quality,” Silva added.
“They didn’t play 48 hours ago and have had all the time to operate. They have this small advantage and play a home game which is different. We know their quality and their physicality too, they will press high and cause problems for us, we need to be brave and to play our game.”
Emile Smith Rowe, who made the switch to Fulham for a record-breaking £34million from Arsenal in the summer, is set to face his old teammates this week. Silva reflected on Smith Rowe's first season with the club, acknowledging the challenges he has faced.
"He's had ups and downs, it doesn't surprise me because he's a player who hasn't played enough football in the last two seasons," Silva remarked. "He needs to find the right consistency to perform at a very good level to perform in a consistent way."
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Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023
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