Arsenal take on Chelsea in Super Sunday's London derby.

2024-11-04

Prepare for a thrilling London derby as Chelsea, eager to bounce back from recent setbacks, host arch-rivals Arsenal at Stamford Bridge, with both teams vying for crucial Premier League points in a battle of ambition versus form.

Chelsea

Chelsea, who currently sit inside the top five, have lost only once in their last five Premier League games [WDLWD] as they head into Sunday’s London derby against Arsenal. Last weekend, the Blues earned a point with a 1-1 draw against Manchester United by equalizing just four minutes after conceding.

Now facing a challenging top-of-the-table clash against Arsenal, Chelsea, fresh from an 8-0 victory over Noah in the Europa Conference League, could remain winless in two games. In their recent encounters with Arsenal, Chelsea have won just once in their last nine Premier League matchups against their London rivals [1W, 2D, 6L].

Currently 4th with 18 points [5W, 3D, 2L], Chelsea have conceded at least once in each of their last six Premier League home games. With Arsenal in impressive goal-scoring form, the Blues, who possess the poorest defensive record among the top five, might find themselves conceding once more.

For this fixture, Chelsea are expected to deploy a 4—2—3—1 formation with Nicolas Jackson leading the attack. Jadon Sancho, previously ineligible to face Manchester United, his parent club, is now eligible for selection, while there is uncertainty over Cole Palmer’s participation.

Arsenal

Despite their best attempts, Arsenal were unable to find a response to Inter’s first-half goal, eventually succumbing to a narrow 1-0 defeat in Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League. The Gunners dropped into 12th place on the revamped UCL league phase table after what was their first defeat in the competition [DWWL].

Back on Premier League soil, Arsenal will be hoping a short trip across town will yield three points following last weekend’s loss to Newcastle United. That defeat left Arsenal without a win in three Premier League games [WWLDL].

However, with a fine record against the Blues, Super Sunday’s London derby could bring good tidings. Arsenal have won three of their last four Premier League away games against Chelsea [3W, 1D, 0L], just as many as they had in their previous 20 visits to Stamford Bridge [3W, 7D, 10L].

But with successive defeats on the road, Arsenal remain on the verge of losing three away games in a row for the first time since December 2021. A 4—3—3 formation with Kai Havertz, Saka, and Martinelli in attack is expected here.

Riccardo Calafiori is ruled out, while Raheem Sterling is not eligible to play against his parent club.