Arsenal reunion 'going to be weird' as Fulham star Emile Smith Rowe opens up

Fulham midfielder Emile Smith Rowe admits it will be “a bit weird” and an emotional day for him as he prepares to face his former employers Arsenal at Craven Cottage.

The 24-year-old joined Marco Silva’s side from the Gunners in August on a five-year contract, with a club option to extend the deal for a further 12 months.

Arsenal academy product Smith Rowe, who made his Gunners first-team debut in 2018, has since appeared in all of Fulham’s 14 Premier League matches, scoring three goals.

“It’s a massive game for me personally,” Smith Rowe told Fulham’s website. “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.

“But I have to make sure I do the job for Fulham.”

Fulham drew with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium last season before securing victory at home on New Year’s Eve.

Smith Rowe described both Silva and former manager Mikel Arteta as “very demanding” bosses who make it “very clear to the players how they want to play”.

Silva’s men will be looking to build on Thursday’s 3-1 win over Brighton, while third-placed Arsenal could make it four Premier League wins in a row.

“No-one surprises anyone in Premier League any more,” Silva told a press conference.

“You know how Mikel and the Arsenal team respect everybody in this competition, they know that it’s really tough to play and win games at this level.

“But I really believe that it’s going to be even more difficult (than last season). Firstly, because with the game last night, it’s going to be [a] really short [turnaround], and because they are in a great moment, definitely.”