Chelsea host Arsenal on Sunday at 4.30 pm in a face-off between the Premier League’s top two teams so far this season. A victory for the home side would close the gap to just three points.
Chelsea has to be considered as league challengers after five wins in six league games. Defeat here would effectively end any realistic hopes of a first title since 2017. Meanwhile, Arsenal have the opportunity to become just the fourth team to lead by nine points after 13 games. The other three all went on to finish first.
However, Manchester City are seven points adrift, and Aston Villa are eight. Both teams face relegation candidates, Leeds and Wolves, respectively, so a nine-point lead still appears unlikely. Yet no doubt beating Chelsea would put Mikel Arteta’s side in their best position to win the Premier League title since their invincible season in 03/04.
Chelsea vs Arsenal: What form are both sides in?
Chelsea beat Burnley 2-0 in their last Premier League fixture and haven’t lost since conceding a late winner against Sunderland over a month ago. They also registered a 3-0 win against Barcelona on Tuesday in the Champions League. However, two of their three league defeats this season have come at Stamford Bridge.
Arsenal haven’t tasted defeat in the league since their 1-0 loss at Anfield in August. They thrashed Tottenham 4-1 in the north London derby last weekend and overcame Bayern Munich 3-1 on Wednesday. Bayern are the only team to beat Chelsea in the competition so far, while Arsenal have a perfect record.
Arsenal Crush Spurs 4–1 to move 7 points clear.
The Gunners are unbeaten in their last six Premier League visits to Stamford Bridge, but failed to win when the sides met in gameweek 12. They did beat the Blues 1-0 at Emirates Stadium in March.
Chelsea vs Arsenal: Team News
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is yet to reveal whether Cole Palmer will be fit. Palmer fractured a toe after recovering from a groin injury he suffered in the defeat against Manchester United in September. Defender Levi Colwill will miss the whole season after suffering an ACL injury in pre-season. Romeo Lavia and Dario Essugo are still out.
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard appeared against Bayern for the first time in two months after a knee injury. Victor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz, who could face their former club again, will be assessed. Star defender Gabriel remains out due to picking up a thigh injury while playing for Brazil. Cristhian Mosquera or Piero Hincapie are expected to fill in. Leandro Trossard is a doubt after limping off in midweek, having been on the scoresheet against Spurs. Gabriel Jesus is still out.
What to Expect
Chelsea haven’t failed to score in a Premier League game since the opening day of the season, and Arsenal are joint top scorers, along with City, so goals are expected. The Gunners have the best defensive record in the country, shipping just six goals, and whether they can stand firm against the Blues’ attacking talent will be key.
Fourteen of Arsenal’s 24 league goals have come from set pieces, and Jurrien Timber headed in from a corner against Bayern. Chelsea have also profited from such situations, scoring ten.
Enzo Maresca also has a new star in his ranks in the form of Estevao Willian. On Tuesday, the 18-year-old became just the third teenager, after Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, to score in his first three Champions League starts. He also grabbed the winner against Liverpool.
However, Arsenal also have some players in great form. Declan Rice continued his strong start to the season by picking up man of the match on Wednesday, and former Blue Noni Madueke scored his first Arsenal goal. Eze is expected to feature heavily after his recent hat-trick.
Arsenal 4-1 Tottenham: Eberechi Eze’s ‘special day’ – but can anyone challenge Gunners for title? – BBC Sport
Whichever way the result goes, it has the potential to be season-defining for both sides in their search for the title.
Excellent article. Keep up the good work. Could be worth posting these on x and try to build a following. Reach out to club fanzines who often post articles from budding journalists. Shame youre not a Leeds fan.