Will Mikel Arteta’s team capitalize on the chance to extend their lead to three points at the top of the Premier League table? Join us as we preview Wednesday’s match at the Emirates Stadium with our prediction for Arsenal versus Chelsea.

Soccer Football – Premier League – Chelsea v Arsenal – Stamford Bridge, London, Britain – October 21, 2023 Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard scores their second goal REUTERS/David Klein

Arsenal vs Chelsea: Match Preview

With all three contenders in action twice, this week could just prove decisive in the Premier League title race. The destination of the trophy may no longer be in Arsenal’s hands, but they sit top of the pile ahead of two huge London derbies against Chelsea and Tottenham, and anything less than perfection will likely be punished with Liverpool and Manchester City lurking.

After losing control of the title race and exiting the UEFA Champions League in the space of a miserable few days, Arsenal steadied the ship with Saturday’s 2-0 win over a Wolves side missing six regular starters through injury. The Gunners made hard work of it at Molineux, but goals from Leandro Trossard and Martin Ødegaard were enough in a game they needed to win.

Arsenal were far from their free-flowing best in the West Midlands, but they held their depleted opponents at arm’s length to pick up their 15th clean sheet of the Premier League season. That is at least five more than any other team (Newcastle United and Everton have 10 apiece), while they last recorded more in a single campaign in 2015-16 (18).

In attack, Arteta has a decision to make after seeing Gabriel Jesus fail to score in a sixth successive Premier League game. With four goals from 54 shots in the Premier League this season, Jesus has a conversion rate of just 7.4%. Of all players to attempt at least 50 shots, only Dominik Szoboszlai (5.5%) and Marcus Tavernier (5.9%) have worse ratios.

Soccer Football – Premier League – Chelsea v Arsenal – Stamford Bridge, London, Britain – October 21, 2023 Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta speaks with referee Chris Kavanagh as Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino shakes hands with an assistant referee after the match Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra

Fortunately for Arteta, Arsenal’s wide men have provided a steady stream of goals, with Trossard enjoying his most prolific Premier League campaign with nine. Only Bukayo Saka has more for Arsenal this term (14), and the England star has also been involved in 17 goals in Premier League London derbies since the start of last season (eight goals, nine assists) – more than any other player.

Takehiro Tomiyasu will be assessed ahead of Tuesday’s game after sustaining a knock against Bayern Munich last week, but it will come too soon for Jurriën Timber as he works his way back from an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Jorginho could come into Arsenal’s lineup if Arteta prioritises control, allowing another former Chelsea player, Kai Havertz, to start as his striker.

The Blues are now focused solely on salvaging European qualification in the closing weeks of the season, which they will end trophyless after Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final defeat to City.

Chelsea were perhaps unfortunate to be denied a penalty in that game as Palmer’s free-kick struck the outstretched hand of Jack Grealish, but they also squandered plenty of clear-cut chances to go ahead before Bernardo Silva’s strike deflected in off Marc Cucurella late on.

Nicolas Jackson alone accumulated 0.73 expected goals (xG) but failed to find the net, also passing up one glorious chance to shoot after rounding Stefan Ortega. Jackson’s 10 Premier League goals have come from a total of 13.98 xG, meaning only Dominic Calvert Lewin (-5.98) and Darwin Núñez (-4.10) have underperformed their underlying figures by a greater margin than him this season.

A victory on Tuesday would drag Chelsea level with Newcastle United and Manchester United in the race for European football. Despite fierce criticism of boss Pochettino, they are currently enjoying their longest unbeaten run in the Premier League since 2021, avoiding defeat in eight straight games (four wins, four draws) since February’s 4-2 loss to Wolves.

They have scored at least two goals in their last six league matches, with their 19 goals since the start of March making them the division’s leading scorers in that time. That fact owes much to Palmer, who has 20 Premier League goals this term, including 10 in his last five matches.

Only three Chelsea players have ever scored more in a single Premier League campaign – Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (23 in 2000-01 and 2001-02), Frank Lampard (22 in 2009-10) and Didier Drogba (29 in 2009-10).

Palmer has converted all nine of the penalties he has taken in the Premier League. Only Yaya Touré (11/11) has a better 100% conversion rate in the competition’s history. Only five players have ever reached double figures for penalties scored in a single season – Alan Shearer in 1994-95 (10), Andrew Johnson in 2004-05 (11), Lampard in 2009-10 (10), Steven Gerrard in 2013-14 (10) and Luka Milivojević in 2018-19 (10).

Arsenal vs Chelsea: Head-to-head

Arsenal has demonstrated resilience against Chelsea in recent encounters, losing just one of their last eight Premier League matchups (with five wins and two draws). Their current unbeaten streak of four matches against Chelsea is their longest since the 19-game run spanning from 1995 to 2005.

In the reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge in October, Arsenal managed to salvage a 2-2 draw after initially falling behind 2-0 to goals from Palmer and Mykhailo Mudryk. Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard found the net late in the game to secure a valuable point for Arsenal.

Soccer Football – Premier League – Chelsea v Arsenal – Stamford Bridge, London, Britain – October 21, 2023 Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta with Chelsea’s Thiago Silva and Arsenal’s Declan Rice after the match REUTERS/David Klein

Last season, Arsenal emerged victorious with a 3-1 win over Chelsea in this fixture, with Martin Ødegaard scoring twice and contributions from Gabriel Jesus and Noni Madueke. Chelsea’s recent history against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium has not been favorable, as they have not won consecutive away league games against Arsenal since suffering three consecutive defeats between December 2001 and October 2003.

The 8pm kick-off time on Tuesday may add to Chelsea’s challenges, as they have struggled in evening kick-off games against Arsenal in the Premier League. Since winning their first evening kick-off against Arsenal in March 1993, Chelsea have failed to secure a victory in the subsequent 11 such encounters, managing only seven draws and suffering four defeats.

Furthermore, former Tottenham manager Pochettino aims to break his personal winless streak at the Emirates Stadium. Pochettino has yet to win any of his seven away Premier League matches against Arsenal, registering four draws and three losses during his tenures with Southampton and Tottenham.

Arsenal vs Chelsea: Recent Form

Arsenal faced a setback with a 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa in their last home outing at the Emirates Stadium. Another loss in their upcoming home fixture could mark the first time since April 2022 that they’ve suffered consecutive home league defeats, with their last instance of failing to score in successive home games dating back to November 2020.

Meanwhile, Chelsea’s recent league victories have predominantly occurred at Stamford Bridge, with their last three away matches against Manchester City, Brentford, and Sheffield United all ending in draws. The Blues have struggled on the road, winning only two of their last 10 away Premier League games since early November, with victories over Luton Town (3-2) and Crystal Palace (3-1).

Despite their away struggles, Chelsea has shown strength in Premier League London derbies, winning five of their last eight encounters with two draws and one defeat. This is a significant improvement compared to their previous record of just one win in ten London derbies, with three draws and six losses.

Arsenal vs Chelsea: Team News and Predicted Line-up

Arsenal

Arsenal faces potential changes for today’s Premier League derby against Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium. With a hectic schedule in April as they vie for the Premier League title, Arsenal could extend their lead by four points with a victory over Chelsea.

Manager Arteta may consider alterations to the XI that triumphed over Wolves on Saturday, particularly in the left-back position. Jakub Kiwior faced challenges in the first half at Molineux but showed improvement in the second half. However, Oleksandr Zinchenko could be called upon, while the fitness of Takehiro Tomiyasu, who missed the win against Wolves due to a knock from the Bayern Munich game, remains uncertain.

Jorginho is likely to return to the midfield against his former club after being rested over the weekend. If selected, this move could see another former Chelsea player, Kai Havertz, taking on the role of Arsenal’s center-forward. Gabriel Martinelli, who only made a cameo appearance against Wolves, could also find himself in the starting lineup.

Arsenal Predicted Line-up:

Goalkeeper: Raya
Defenders: White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko
Midfielders: Odegaard, Jorginho, Rice
Forwards: Saka, Havertz, Martinelli

Chelsea Predicted Line-up:

Chelsea may face the absence of key player Cole Palmer for today’s Premier League clash against Arsenal, with Ben Chilwell and Malo Gusto also unavailable. Despite a narrow 1-0 defeat to Manchester City just three days prior, Chelsea faces another challenging fixture at the Emirates Stadium.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino continues to contend with the absence of seven players, with three more sidelined after setbacks at Wembley. Christopher Nkunku is progressing in his recovery but remains unavailable for the London derby, along with Reece James, Lesley Ugochukwu, Romeo Lavia, Robert Sanchez, and Wesley Fofana.

Chelsea would have ideally rotated their lineup for the Arsenal match as they pursue European qualification. However, Djordje Petrovic is expected to maintain his position in goal, with a potential back four consisting of Axel Disasi, Thiago Silva, Trevoh Chalobah, and Marc Cucurella. In midfield, Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, and Conor Gallagher are likely to retain their places. Raheem Sterling is pushing for a return to the front three alongside Noni Madueke and Nicolas Jackson.

Chelsea Predicted Line-up:

Goalkeeper: Petrovic
Defenders: Disasi, Silva, Chalobah, Cucurella
Midfielders: Caicedo, Gallagher, Fernandez
Forwards: Madueke, Jackson, Sterling

Arsenal Chelsea: Match Prediction

We predict that Arsenal will apply pressure on Liverpool and City before their midweek matches, with the Gunners expected to come close to securing all the three points on Tuesday with a Chelsea win or draw being unlikely.

When and Where to Watch the Match LIVE in India?

The Premier 2023-24 match between Arsenal and Chelsea will be broadcast live in India on Star Sports Select Channels. The match is scheduled to Wednesday, 24 April 2024 at 12:30 AM Indian Standard Time (IST).

Viewers in India can watch the match live from the Emirates Stadium. Additionally, for those who prefer online streaming, the match will be available for live streaming on the Disney+ Hotstar App or website upon subscription.