Chelsea vs Arsenal

Stamford Bridge forms the backdrop for an all-London Premier League showdown between Chelsea and Arsenal.

Chelsea hauled back a second-half deficit in a 1-1 draw at Manchester United last weekend, maintaining their underwhelming four-game run in the Premier League (W1, D2, L1). Despite their patchy form, Enzo Maresca’s men commence this round in fourth, largely thanks to going unbeaten in four consecutive league outings at Stamford Bridge (W2, D2) after a 2-0 loss to Manchester City on matchday one. Furthermore, they’ve only suffered one defeat in their last nine Premier League fixtures (W5, D3), reinforcing their hopes of beating Arsenal for the first time since August 2021 (D1, L4). The Blues will take the field in high spirits following an emphatic 8-0 demolition of Noah in midweek UEFA Europa Conference League action, matching their joint-biggest win since 1957.

In contrast to Chelsea’s buoyant mood, Arsenal suffered another disheartening loss during midweek, slipping to a 1-0 defeat at Inter Milan, only days after an identical scoreline at Newcastle United condemned them to a third consecutive winless game in the Premier League (D1, L2). Already a whopping ten points off the early title pace, Mikel Arteta’s men will be out to arrest their longest winless league run in 2024 and post their first top-flight win on the road since mid-September (D1, L2). On the bright side, the Gunners have excelled in recent London derbies in the Premier League, winning the last six on the bounce by an aggregate score of 22-3.