“This will be a tough test for Arsenal” – Chris Sutton admits having ‘sneaky feeling’ as he makes interesting prediction ahead of Gunners’ trip to Brentford

BBC pundit and former footballer Chris Sutton believes Brentford could take points off Arsenal when the two teams meet. The Gunners will travel to the Brentford Community Stadium for a Premier League encounter on Sunday, September 18.

The Bees notably defeated Mikel Arteta's side to kick off their first campaign back in the top flight last season. Thomas Frank's team physically overpowered a new-look Arsenal side to win 2-0 in front of a vociferous home crowd. Bryan Mbuemo and Sergi Canos scored goals on that occasion.

Based on how that encounter went, Sutton believes there will be a similarly hostile atmosphere for the Gunners to contend with this weekend. He feels this could help Brentford hold the league leaders to a 1-1 draw and wrote in his column for the BBC:

"Brentford got off to a great start last season by beating Arsenal at home in their first game after being promoted, and there will be a cracking atmosphere there this time too."

The former Chelsea forward continued:

"The Gunners have improved a lot from 12 months ago, but the Bees have shown recently against Manchester United and Leeds that they carry a real threat. So, this will be a tough test for Arsenal - and I just have a sneaky feeling that Brentford will get something out of the game."

It's worth noting that the Gunners avenged their opening-day defeat at Brentford with a 2-1 victory at the Emirates in February this year. Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka netted in the second half for Arteta's side, while Christian Norgaard scored a late consolation for the Bees.

---

How have Arsenal and Brentford fared this season?

Arsenal have started the new season in fantastic form and are currently top of the Premier League standings with 15 points from six matches. While they lost 3-1 to Manchester United in their last league fixture, the Gunners bounced back by defeating FC Zurich 2-1 in their UEFA Europa League opener.

Meanwhile, Brentford have shut down their doubters with some fantastic displays this season. After finishing in a commendable 13th place last season, they currently sit eighth in the Premier League standings after six matches this time around.

Frank's troops have picked up nine points from those games while scoring 15 goals. The Bees picked up a resounding 5-2 win against Leeds United in their last competitive outing on September 3.