Arsenal v Fulham

Until something happens to suggest Robin Van Persie is coming out of his purple patch, he remains the obvious, if boring, option to bet on. At 3/1 (Bet365) to be first goalscorer against Fulham, nobody will be complaining about the predictable nature of this tip if the Dutchman keeps doing the business!

I won’t revisit all the 28-year-old’s remarkable statistics yet again; for those who want a quick reminder just click here. Let’s instead focus on why 3/1 - short odds for a first goalscorer market - can still be value.

Firstly, Fulham look pretty unlikely to score at the Emirates at any time. Arsenal have never lost at home to the Cottagers (W22, D3) in 25 encounters, and the visitors have mustered a paltry six goals in 10 Premier League visits to the Gunners. Martin Jol’s side have only found the net three times in six away games this season.

If it is to be the hosts to score first, then how likely is it to be Van Persie, based on recent evidence? Very, is the short answer. The captain has scored 12 of the last 17 Arsenal goals in matches where he has started. And he is likely to start after Wenger admitted the decision to rest his star man recently against Marseilles “was a gamble that didn’t pay off.”

As well as Arsenal are going, it’s hard not to feel that they are largely a one-man team. Nobody else in the squad has more than two league goals all season. An in-form Walcott may be a slight threat to this bet (15/2 Betfred), but he is far more likely to create for RVP yet again. But there are no other strikers at the club in any sort of form. That’s what makes this still such a good value bet on Saturday night.