There may be a strong Brazilian contingent in the Arsenal camp, but Andreas Pereira says his only friends on Saturday will be wearing black and white.
The three Gabriels – Paulista, Martinelli and Jesus – have all started each of the Gunners’ matches this season, but Andreas is hoping to get one over on his compatriots at the Emirates.
“I played with Gabriel Paulista at Valencia, Gabriel Jesus I played with for the national team of Brazil, so it will be good to see them,” he explained.
“I’m sure before the game we’ll be friends, but during the game my only friends are Fulham friends!
“We’ll do everything we can on the pitch to get the points, then after the game we can have a hug and speak with each other.”
The London derby pits two of the Premier League’s unbeaten sides against each other, with Arsenal the one team in the division with a 100 per cent record.
“They’ve started very well,” Andreas admitted. “We’ve watched all of their games, we know they’re in a very good place, they’re feeling good, they’re confident.
“We know it’s going to be a difficult game and we have to be at our best, we have to be very compact.
“We know that now they’re one of the best teams in the league, so we’re going to make it a good game, make it as difficult for them as possible, and try to steal away some points from them.”
