"Got the ability to grind out results when they need to" - Chris Sutton makes score prediction for Fulham vs Arsenal

Pundit Chris Sutton has predicted a 2-1 win for Arsenal in their upcoming Premier League fixture against Fulham on Sunday, December 8. The ex-Chelsea forward claimed that the Gunners have the ability to "grind out results" and predicted a narrow win for Mikel Arteta's side.

With eight wins, four draws and two losses, Arsenal currently sit in third place on the Premier League table, level with second-placed Chelsea on 28 points. After a momentary lapse of concentration at the start of November, they are back on track, with four wins and a draw in their last five fixtures across all competitions.

Fulham have multiple former Gunners in their ranks, including Emile Smith-Rowe, Reiss Nelson, Alex Iwobi, and goalkeeper Bernd Leno. While Sutton claimed that one of these players could get back at Arsenal for letting them go, he praised the toughness and determination of Mikel Arteta's side.

In his column for the BBC, the 51-year-old wrote:

"Arsenal needed corners to find a way past Manchester United on Wednesday, but they deserved to win the game anyway. Martin Odegaard is a special talent and he is the difference maker for them. He knits everything together and he is the reason they are going on a bit of a run. Their confidence is growing and they look strong all over the pitch."

"They did not miss Gabriel at the back against United, but this might be a tougher test for them, especially because some of Fulham's key players are Gunners old boys. One of them could easily come back to haunt them and put a dent in their title bid, but Arteta's side have got the ability to grind out results when they need to," Sutton added.

The highly anticipated Premier League London derby between Fulham and Arsenal will be played at Craven Cottage on December 8.

"It's going to be a bit weird" - Ex-Arsenal forward Emile Smith-Rowe opens up on the prospect of facing former side

Former Arsenal attacker Emile Smith Rowe has opened up on the prospect of facing his former side in their upcoming Premier League fixture.

A graduate of the Gunners' famed Hale End academy, Smith Rowe moved to Fulham in the summer of 2024 for a reported £27 million plus £7 million in add-ons. He has immediately established himself as a starter, playing a key role in powering the Cottagers to sixth place in the league table.

Speaking to Fulham's website, the 24-year-old said that the fixture against his former side will be "weird" and "emotional" for him. He said (via Express):

"It's a massive game for me personally. At the start of the season, in my head I've always been thinking about playing against my former team. It's going to be an exciting game."

"I think it's going to be a bit weird, knowing the players for so long, and having been there for a lot of my life, so it probably is going to be a bit of an emotional day," Smith Rowe added.

Smith Rowe has three goals and two assists in 16 games across all competitions this season.