The 2020/21 Premier League fixture list has officially been announced, with Arsenal set to begin their new campaign away to newly-promoted Fulham.
Scott Parker's outfit achieved promotion through the play-offs last season after beating Brentford 2-0 in the final at Wembley, allowing the Cottagers to return to England's top-flight just one year after suffering relegation.
So what can Mikel Arteta expect from Parker's side on the opening day? Let's take a look at what they have offered on the pitch over the past year to summarise Arsenal's upcoming opponents.
Fulham finished fourth in the Championship table, scoring the seventh-most goals while conceding the fourth-fewest on the defensive side of the game.
Parker has been shaping his team after taking over in May 2019, and the details of his side can be captured by the numbers beneath the surface.
Expected Goals (xG) - which tends to provide an accurate summary of whether a team deserved fewer or more goals largely based on their shot locations - suggested that Fulham showcased the third-best attack in the division.
Fulham's respectable xG stemmed from their ability to produce shots. They attempted to find the net 623 times, averaging around 11.6 efforts per match over the course of the campaign.
In defence, they didn't appear very strong, though. Parker's men conceded 48 goals, and xG Against ranked them as having the 10th-best defence based on the shots they faced, although it's worth noting at this point that due to the congestion of the division, small numbers can separate lots of sides.
Fulham faced 517 shots which placed them 10th in the division, with their pressing approach not yet being particularly watertight.
Once the numbers in question are coupled with their general possession share - averaging 60.5% which placed them behind only Leeds United - Fulham appear to be a relatively nice team to play against.
The playing style of the Cottagers doesn't seem overly suited to competing in the Premier League, with their brand of football being vaguely comparable to Norwich City's before they moved up to the big leagues.
Fulham want a lot of the ball and their attack is good at Championship level while their defence is average, but those are both almost certain to decline against better quality opponents such as those representing the Gunners.
Aleksandar Mitrović is the biggest threat that Fulham possess, with the Serbian striker bagging 26 goals in 41 Championship appearances last season while also being a general handful for opposing centre-backs. He's capable of bullying the players he faces if they aren't robust enough.
Will Parker try to play the same way or adjust in order to secure positive results? We will have to wait and see but ultimately, if he refuses to deviate from certain principles, Fulham could struggle and experience a baptism of fire at the hands of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and the like.
