"They will still have too much firepower" - Chris Sutton predicts scoreline for Arsenal vs Ipswich Town

Pundit Chris Sutton has predicted the scoreline for Arsenal's upcoming clash against Premier League minnows Ipswich Town. The Gunners are set to invite the Tractor Boys to the Emirates Stadium on December 27.

Mikel Arteta's men are widely expected to see off the visitors, who are struggling in the relegation zone. The Gunners are in third place, having lost just two games this season. They have won nine games out of 17 and will look to make it 10 the day after Boxing Day, which Chris Sutton believes is possible.

In his BBC column, the pundit revealed his prediction was a 2-0 win for the hosts, writing:

"I know [Ipswich] have already won in north London this season, when they saw off Tottenham in November, but it is hard to see them getting anything at Emirates Stadium.

"It is important for Arsenal that Gabriel Jesus is back in the goals. They are going to miss the injured Bukayo Saka for the next few weeks but they will still have too much firepower for Ipswich."

He further admitted that Ipswich Town could get out of the relegation zone, although the points they need to pick up would not come against the Gunners:

"I still think they have got a chance of staying up and I still rate their manager, Kieran McKenna, very highly - but that Newcastle defeat was a big blow for them. They are still without a home win this season and that has to change quickly if they are going to have any chance of beating the drop."

Indeed, Ipswich have been unable to win games at Portman Road this season. They sit in 19th place on the Premier League table with two wins from 17 games, and it seems unlikely that they will leave the relegation zone before 2024 runs out.

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta opens up about Bukayo Saka injury

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has shared an update about Bukayo Saka's injury, after the winger crashed to the turf at Selhurst Park on December 21. The 23-year-old limped off the pitch, while his teammates went on to beat Crystal Palace 5-1.

It has been determined that the England international has suffered a hamstring injury. Asked how long it would keep him out, Arteta told the press (via BBC):

"It's not looking good. He's going to be out for many weeks. It is what it is. He's injured, we cannot change it. We're going to use this time now to help him."

He also admitted that the consistent time spent on the pitch might have affected Saka:

"It's probably more the accumulation [of matches] as people like Declan [Rice] and Bukayo have played over 130 games in three seasons."

The Arsenal winger has been a creative force for the Gunners this season, scoring nine goals and providing 13 assists across 24 games in all competitions.