We’re delighted to have the English Premier League back on our screens following the midweek action from the Champions League and UEFA’s other two competitions. We now look forward to Chelsea taking on Arsenal in a London derby at Stamford Bridge. Both teams are possible title challengers and have started the season as such, but it’s the Gunners who have been the better of the two London sides. Will that form help them win this match?
Chelsea rank as one of the biggest teams in European football, but they have gone off the boil following a decent start to this campaign. The Blues are without a win in their last three games at this level, taking just two of the nine points available to them. Arsenal remains top of the league and enters on the back of a hard-fought win, meaning confidence is high in the camp. With both sides confident they have what it takes to win, this promises to be a thrilling 90 minutes of play.
Followers of the form may remember these sides met twice last season, and the team that was away from home won on each occasion. The first match was played last August at the Emirates Stadium, and it was the Blues that came away with all three points thanks to a 2-0 victory. Then it was Arsenal’s turn to get their revenge, winning 4-2 in a stunning match at this venue in April. Armchair fans hope this return lives up to the energy and drama saw in those two meetings. Read on as we look closely and offer our Chelsea v Arsenal predictions.
Blues have been poor
Chelsea started the weekend off the pace, sitting down in sixth, which is something the fans have already begun to voice their opinions over in the last few days. The Blues have a squad that is good enough to be challenging for the major places and coaching staff that have been there and seen it all before. It’s a club filled to the rafters with winners. What’s the problem at the Bridge, and what can be done to solve the issues and get them firing again? Those are questions that need answers quickly.
When taking a closer look at their form this season, we start to see where the cracks are appearing. The hosts have played a dozen matches, winning six, drawing three and losing the other three. They have scored 17 goals which is the lowest return of any team in the top nine, with Crystal Palace in tenth place netting just 13 times. At the opposite end of the field, we see Chelsea has conceded 15 goals, and that’s more than Everton and West Ham, two sides currently stuck in the middle of the table and going through a difficult time.
What must Chelsea do to improve? There isn’t too much wrong with their season stats, and although it’s always dangerous to assume, their drop down the ladder looks like it can be pinned on a damp patch. They have suffered two of their three draws in their last three games. There has also been one of those three defeats in that same period. They are a club down on their luck at the minute and need a morale-boosting win to get things moving again. Three points at home against the league leaders isn’t beyond this side, and it would be a win that would get them firing again.
Gunners are aiming high
Arsenal enters the latest round of fixtures perched proudly atop the English Premier League table. The club has enjoyed a terrific start to the season – which is nothing new – but they appear to be gathering pace as we edge closer to the winter break. All EPL fixtures will be cancelled while the World Cup is played in Qatar between 20th November and 18th December. Clubs then must return to it, aiming to pick up where they left off before the FIFA showpiece.
That won’t be easy, but taking the lead at the top of the table into the break would be ideal, taking some of the pressure off the players’ shoulders when they return. Arsenal is doing well, but they aren’t a good enough side that they can let their minds wander towards Qatar. Any points dropped as the games come thick and fast could end up being the difference between winning the league and losing it. We saw over the last few seasons just how tight this division could get. There has been little between Man City and Liverpool in the last three of four years.
Arsenal travel across the city with a league record showing ten wins, one draw and a defeat. They enjoyed a perfect record until running into Man Utd at Old Trafford, and the Red Devils did that day what they are becoming famous for, upsetting the odds and digging out a win. It was a shock result, but one that failed to impact the beaten team’s confidence too much. They now have 31 points on the board, and that places them two points above Man City, who are refusing to give up without a fight. The Cityzens put winning the Champions League as their priority this season, but they aren’t about to simply hand over their domestic crown. This promises to be an epic season, and it’s likely to go right down to the wire again.
Chelsea v Arsenal prediction
You can expect another thrilling London derby as these sides aim to win the three points but also know the damage a defeat could do to their season at this stage. With both teams knowing a loss isn’t an option, it could be a nervy 90 minutes where an individual error or moment of brilliance could win it. Chelsea do have the brilliance in their ranks, but will they make it count?
Premier League odds
The pre-match betting odds you’ll find at 22Bet offers a Chelsea win at 2.56 with Arsenal trading at 2.744 and the draw 3.36.
Make sure to bet on Chelsea v Arsenal with 22Bet!