It’s second versus fourth in Sunday’s early Premier League kick-off as Chelsea travel to the Emirates to take on Arsenal.
The Gunners sit six points above their London rivals, but they have not won any of their last three league games (D2, L1). Meanwhile, Chelsea have won their last two and will be confident of performing a smash-and-grab raid.
ARSENAL VS CHELSEA PREVIEW
Arsenal will hope to take advantage of Liverpool’s participation in the League Cup Final to close the gap at the top of the table to 12 points. This would also consolidate their position in the top four of the Premier League.
Chelsea will be looking to do the same as they are two points ahead of fifth-placed Manchester City. Should they win, they will close the gap to Arsenal to just three points.
Both teams progressed in Europe in midweek – Arsenal against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League and Chelsea against København in the UEFA Conference League. However, Arsenal are without a win in three Premier League matches and Chelsea have hardly been convincing in their recent wins against Leicester and København.
Gabriel Jesus (ACL), Kai Havertz (hamstring), Bukayo Saka (hamstring) and Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee) are all still out for Arsenal. Raheem Sterling is ineligible, but Gabriel Martinelli may make his first start since recovering from a hamstring injury.
Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Ethan Nwaneri, Martin Odegaard and Leandro Trossard are all likely to return after being benched against PSV.
Chelsea have absentees too. Mykhaylo Mudryk is suspended, while it’s touch-and-go whether Malo Gusto will be fit to face the Gunners. Nicolas Jackson, Marc Guiu and Noni Madueke (all hamstring) are all out, while Omari Kellyman won’t be fit enough to play. Cole Palmer should start.
ARSENAL VS CHELSEA PREDICTIONS
Arsenal Win
The last time Chelsea visited the Emirates, they were on the end of a 5-0 hammering. With Arsenal desperate to consolidate their top-four place, they will have all the motivation they need here.
Draw
The reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge ended in a 1-1 draw back in November. Arsenal’s poor form may be compensated by home advantage, so the two sides could cancel each other out.
Chelsea Win
Chelsea have won their last four games in all competitions, but it’s fair to say the competition has not been as strong as Arsenal. However, with Cole Palmer back for Chelsea, this could make the difference. He has scored 14 Premier League goals this season, putting him sixth in the list of top scorers this season.
ARSENAL VS CHELSEA – BETTING TIPS
Arsenal Win
This game should be a very tight affair, but I expect Arsenal to make their home advantage count. Chelsea’s away win against København ended a seven-game winless streak on the road, while the Blues haven’t faced opposition of the calibre of Arsenal for a while.
The Gunners have also had an extra day to recover from their European exploits. This was also more of a procession as they had already beaten PSV 7-1 in the first leg while Chelsea had a slender 2-1 lead to defend against København. Both successfully qualified for the next round of their respective competitions.
Both Teams To Score (BTTS)
Both teams have scored in four of the last six matches between the two sides and Arsenal have not kept a clean sheet in their last four home Premier League games. Chelsea have scored one more league goal than Arsenal this season (53 versus 52) while the Gunners put five past Manchester City last month. All of this points to goals.
Declan Rice to Score Anytime
Declan Rice is the real value here, having netted five goals from midfield this campaign. He scored in last season’s 2-2 draw against Chelsea, as well as in each of Arsenal’s last two games.
ARSENAL VS CHELSEA – HEAD-TO-HEAD AND KEY STATS
There have been 210 games between Arsenal and Chelsea. The Gunners have won 84, Chelsea have won 66 and there have been 60 draws.
Arsenal are unbeaten in their last six matches against Chelsea (W4, D2).
Chelsea have not won at the Emirates since August 2021.
