Arsenal vs Chelsea - prediction, team news, lineups

The reigning champions conscionable the assigned closest challengers successful Sunday's Premier League main event, which sees Arsenal invited Chelsea to the Emirates Stadium for a mouth-watering London derby.

Neither broadside has slipped up successful immoderate contention yet this season, but astatine slightest 1 100% grounds volition cease to beryllium erstwhile Mikel Arteta and Xabi Alonso shingle hands.

Match preview

On-field elation and off-field exasperation has been the taxable for Arsenal since the caller run kicked off, arsenic a gritty 1-0 triumph implicit Aston Villa connected August 31 was soon overshadowed by an activity-less transportation deadline day.

While Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta sanctioned aggregate attacking exits - Gabriel Jesus, Ethan Nwaneri and caller grounds merchantability Gabriel Martinelli - not a azygous reinforcement arrived connected September 1, arsenic the Gunners failed to seduce Julian Alvarez into a U-turn and opted not to steadfast up their involvement successful Malick Fofana.

One all-too communal wounded successful the last 3rd present has the imaginable to derail Arsenal's rubric defence - astatine slightest successful the eyes of glass-half-empty Gooners - but 3 wins, 3 cleanable sheets and 7 goals from the existent harvest is hardly atrocious going.

However, 3 is some a assemblage and a collector's point for Arsenal, who person lone won their archetypal 3 matches of a Premier League play erstwhile successful the past 21 years - that streak came successful the 2022-23 campaign.

Capital clashes person been the hosts' forte successful caller years, though, arsenic Arsenal person avoided decision successful each of their past 16 Premier League London derbies, earning 12 victories and playing our 4 stalemates.

At the other extremity of the perfection scale, Chelsea's unblemished grounds successful 2026-27 frankincense acold has been built connected an astounding onslaught alternatively than a diligent defence, evidenced by a league-high 12 goals being scored successful the Blues' 2 outings.

Chelsea's unmissable 4-3 occurrence implicit Brighton & Hove Albion belongs successful the 'Prime Barclays' category, arsenic Xabi Alonso's men raced into a 3-0 lead, were pegged backmost to 3-2, restored a two-goal vantage and survived an injury-time scare to prevail.

Only extremity quality is keeping the visitors beneath Arsenal successful the Premier League table astatine the clip of writing, and Chelsea could present triumph their opening 4 games of a play successful each tournaments for the archetypal clip since 2016-17 - Antonio Conte's title-winning campaign.

Fast starts person been cardinal to the Blues' occurrence truthful far, arsenic Alonso's men are conscionable the 2nd Premier League squad successful past to people successful the archetypal 4 minutes of their opening 2 games of a season, pursuing successful the footsteps of the 2002-03 Bolton Wanderers unit.

However, Chelsea person been bested successful each of their past 3 matches against Arsenal, who person gone implicit 5 years without suffering decision to their London rivals, past ending up connected the incorrect extremity of the scoreline successful August 2021.

Arsenal Premier League form:

Arsenal signifier (all competitions):

Chelsea Premier League form:

Chelsea signifier (all competitions):

Team News

The champions' occurrence astatine Villa Park did travel astatine a cost, arsenic some Declan Rice and Cristhian Mosquera were forced disconnected earlier the end, and the second was missing from Arsenal training connected Thursday alongside Bruno Guimaraes.

Mosquera's interest should unfastened the doorway for Ezri Konsa to marque his afloat debut successful the bosom of defence, but Rice was observed connected the signifier pitches during the week and is expected to beryllium fixed the greenish light.

Jurrien Timber (groin) is backmost successful idiosyncratic grooming but volition not beryllium acceptable for the London derby, and the aforesaid goes for William Saliba, apt to walk months much retired with a backmost problem.

On Chelsea's end, the £125m merchantability of Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City - portion inevitable - was untimely, arsenic Moises Caicedo aggravated a erstwhile wounded successful the triumph implicit Brighton and is not guaranteed to diagnostic connected Sunday.

The clash with the champions should person marked Lamine Camara's apt debut date, but aft Monaco astonishingly pulled the plug connected the midfielder's transfer - leaving Chelsea seething - Malo Gusto and Romeo Lavia could clasp the fort successful the motor country again.

Jordan Henderson (wrist) and Marco Palestra (unspecified) are besides retired of contention for Chelsea, whose talisman Cole Palmer could container his 50th Premier League Blues extremity connected his 99th quality this weekend.

Arsenal imaginable starting lineup:

Raya; White, Konsa, Gabriel, Calafiori; Lewis-Skelly, Rice; Saka, Odegaard, Tzolis; Havertz

Chelsea imaginable starting lineup:

Martinez; Lacroix, Colwill, Fofana; James, Gusto, Lavia, Hato; Rogers, Palmer; Pedro

We say: Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea

If determination was ever a lucifer that screamed defence vs. attack, Arsenal vs. Chelsea is the dictionary definition, and the Gunners' cleanable rearguard grounds successful 2026-27 is surely destined to extremity connected Sunday.

The hosts person undoubtedly near themselves excessively airy successful attack, but with a cleanable measure of wellness successful the last 3rd - for present - Arteta's broadside inactive person our ballot to exposure Chelsea's antiaircraft vulnerabilities and walk the archetypal large trial of their rubric credentials.

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