Chelsea and Arsenal aim to return on winning ways as they face each other in the London Derby.
Few anticipated Chelsea would surpass Arsenal at this juncture, yet they lead on goal difference as manager Enzo Maresca’s impressive start rolls on. The Blues have suffered just one loss in their last nine Premier League matches (W5, D3), that defeat being against a formidable Liverpool. Chelsea seem well-positioned as they seek their first head-to-head victory since August 2021 (D1, L4), especially following an emphatic 8-0 midweek Conference League triumph over Noah.
Under Maresca, Chelsea have shown more attacking prowess compared to the tenure of Mauricio Pochettino, averaging two goals per game in their last four home league encounters (W2, D2). However, maintaining this scoring momentum might hinge on the fitness of their key player Cole Palmer, who sustained an injury during the 1-1 draw with Manchester United last week.
For Arsenal, the return of captain Martin Ødegaard was perhaps the sole highlight on Wednesday night amidst their 1-0 UEFA Champions League defeat against Inter Milan, though they might feel unlucky after creating 20 goal attempts.
Their recent performance marked a second consecutive 1-0 defeat, as their Premier League loss to Newcastle the previous Saturday left them outside the top four and trailing Liverpool by seven points.
For the first time this year, the Gunners have gone three league matches without a victory (D1, L2), raising concerns for Mikel Arteta’s team. They haven’t secured an away league win since mid-September (D1, L2). However, they have fared well recently at Stamford Bridge, remaining unbeaten in the last five encounters there (W3, D2). Remarkably, their three wins in the past four Premier League visits match the number of victories they had achieved in the preceding 20 visits!
Key players to watch include Chelsea’s Moisés Caicedo, who has excelled against other ‘big-six’ teams this season, scoring a long-range goal against Manchester United last week and providing an assist against Liverpool earlier. Arsenal’s Ben White also assisted against Liverpool and scored twice in a 5-0 victory over Chelsea in April.
Notably, the home team has kept a first-half clean sheet in each of the last four encounters (Arsenal HT: W2, D1, L1).
