Chelsea v Arsenal: Preview, Team News & Predictions
Chelsea and Arsenal are set to go shoulder-to-shoulder on Saturday, 21st October, as the Premier League returns with a marquee London derby fixture.
Despite a dogged start to the campaign, Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea are gradually beginning to find themselves, with seven goals scored and just one conceded over their last three matches across all competitions. That set also reads three wins on the bounce – perhaps, any other vein would make this already gruelling fixture a bigger mountain to climb.
Chelsea’s line up has seen growing stability over the weeks, and that’s why they’re finally starting to stitch wins together. Levi Colwill, Thiago Silva, and summer signing Axel Disasi have formed 75% of a formidable back line, while Moises Caicedo, Conor Gallagher and the totem of the Blues’ midfield – Enzo Fernandez – have formulated a striking partnership in the middle.
Raheem Sterling’s omission from the English squad which recently beat Italy in the Group C qualifiers to book their tickets to Germany for next year’s European championships has ignited a fire that Chelsea fans will hope isn’t doused anytime soon.
They know they’ll have to do better against a buoyant Arsenal side who have beaten them in five of the last six matches.
Arsenal have also made Stamford Bridge a happy hunting ground, as have many teams over the last 18 months, with three successive victories in West London.
Mikel Arteta’s charges are the only team besides their noisy neighbours, Tottenham Hotspur, to remain undefeated this season. They could reach the summit for at least 48 hours or so if they run away with all three points again.
Without further delay, let’s look at everything you need to know about the much-awaited London derby.
Team News
Chelsea
Chelsea’s injury record makes for extensive reading. Beginning with Reece James, reports suggest the club captain returned to training but suffered another setback. However, he was seen on grass earlier in the week. Regardless, he wouldn’t be thrown into the deep end from the get-go.
Malo Gusto’s return after a three-match ban poses selection questions to Pochettino, who has witnessed Marc Cucurella make a case for himself on the right.
Disasi was called up by France but returned due to a thigh strain. It remains to be seen if he plays a role in the XI. The same followed for Armando Broja, who wasn’t deemed fit by Albania and sent back to Cobham.
Romeo Lavia has yet to feature in a Chelsea shirt, whereas Marcus Bettinelli, Trevoh Chalobah, Carney Chukwuemeka, Christopher Nkunku, Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile occupy a crowded treatment room.
Arsenal
Bukayo Saka and William Saliba – all remained in North London and should shake off their respective knocks ahead of the game, offering a welcome boost to Arteta and his staff.
Leandro Trossard, who was forced off in the 1-0 win over Manchester City, is a fresh concern. Jurrien Timber remains a long-term absentee.
Predicted XI
Chelsea (4-3-3): Sanchez; Gusto, Disasi, Silva, Colwill; Fernandez, Caicedo, Gallagher; Palmer, Broja, Sterling
Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Rice, Partey; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli
Match Prediction
Arsenal won’t always play in fifth gear against top-level opponents, meaning Chelsea could exhibit greater control with the ball in home surroundings.
However, whether they’ll be able to sustain it and thwart Arsenal’s possession play, and counter-attacking acumen is a question to ponder. As such, we expect the Gunners to hand the hosts a lesson and remind them of the gap between the two teams – on and off the pitch.
Predicted score: Chelsea 0-1 Arsenal
-Roy Akarshak
Twitter: @RoyAkarshak
Photo: CFC Unofficial. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.