Stamford Bridge is the venue for a top-of-the-table clash in the Premier League as Chelsea host a formidable Arsenal side on Sunday.
Enzo Maresca once again proved his worth in a big game, as his Chelsea side dismantled Barcelona at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday ahead of a bigger challenge against Arsenal. Questions were being asked in the build-up to that game on whether this young team could handle the free-flowing Catalans.
A Jules Kounde own-goal in the first half was followed by a sending off for Barcelona skipper Ronald Araujo, which gave Chelsea the upper hand in this clash. A stellar second-half display stiffled the Blaugrana, as Estevao Willian and Liam Delap added gloss to the result.
This came after Chelsea recorded a comfortable victory away at Burnley last weekend, which, coupled with Manchester City’s loss away at Newcastle United, sent them into second. With a six-point gap over leaders Arsenal, the Blues will host the Gunners at Stamford Bridge in a top-of-the-table clash in the Premier League on Sunday.
While Chelsea made a statement of intent with a massive win over Barcelona, all eyes were on Arsenal on Wednesday as they hosted Bayern Munich at the Emirates. The clash was billed as one between the two best teams in Europe, with the Bavarians coming into this one unbeaten this season, and winning 19 of their 20 games until then.
Mikel Arteta could have realistically rotated his pack and used the massive squad depth at his disposal. Yet, the Spanish manager chose to go full strength, and it enabled Arsenal to showcase their superiority on the pitch as they completely dismantled this Bayern Munich side with goals from Jurrien Timber, Noni Madueke, and Gabriel Martinelli.
The win was itself a statement of intent from Arteta’s men, which sets the clash at Stamford Bridge nicely. There are debates on exactly which team is under pressure to win on Sunday, as Chelsea could close the gap to three points, while Arsenal could extend it over the Blues by nine points. So, this game could be the proverbial six-pointer.
Team News & Tactics
Chelsea
The big news out of Enzo Maresca’s pre-match press conference was regarding Cole Palmer, who is fit and available for the Arsenal clash. The Chelsea boss also hinted the returning star could even start, but in theory, that may be a bit soon, given Palmer has not played a competitive game in a while.
The system worked well against Barcelona, and in theory needs no changing, as Reece James could potentially continue in midfield alongside Moises Caicedo, with Malo Gusto as right-back. Enzo Fernandez put in a terrific performance in the No.10 role against Barcelona, and he could keep his place in that role.
Maresca could think about starting Liam Delap as his No.9 over Joao Pedro, which could let him use the energetic Pedro Neto on the left side of the front three. Trevoh Chalobah and Wesley Fofana are expected to continue their central defensive partnership, with Marc Cucurella at left-back.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; James, Caicedo; Estevao, Fernandez, Neto; Delap
Arsenal
The win over Bayern Munich may have come at a cost as Leandro Trossard hobbled off in the first half with an apparent calf issue. Mikel Arteta, in his pre-match presser, did state there was not much with the injury, but insisted there will be scans to determine the Belgian’s involvement on Sunday.
The Belgian international is Arsenal’s top scorer and assist provider this season, meaning his presence will be missed if he does not start or feature. Incidentally, Trossard has only missed one game since joining the Gunners from Brighton & Hove Albion in January 2023.
Arsenal have seen Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli make their comeback in recent games, meaning one of those should start on the left if Trossard misses out. Beyond that, there is a potential chance for striker duo Viktor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz to return to the matchday squad, but Arteta leaned towards caution for the time being.
Either way, it will be Mikel Merino who will lead the line, irrespective of the availability of the duo. Arteta might keep changing the centre-back in the Gabriel Magalhaes position, meaning this could be another chance for Piero Hincapie to impress at the back and replace Cristhian Mosquera there, while Riccardo Calafiori is expected to return in the left-back role.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Hincapie, Calafiori; Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Eze, Trossard; Merino
Key Stats
Chelsea have kept a clean sheet in their last three matches in the Premier League.
Chelsea have won five of their last six matches in the Premier League.
Arsenal have won six of their last seven matches in the Premier League.
Arsenal are unbeaten away at Chelsea since 2018 in the Premier League.
Mikel Arteta’s first defeat as Arsenal manager came against Chelsea in his second game in charge in December 2019. Despite this, the Spaniard has the third highest Premier League win rate against the Blues (58.3% – 7/12) of any manager to take charge of 10+ games against them, behind Pep Guardiola (61.1%) and Kenny Dalglish (76.9%).
Player to Watch
Martin Zubimendi
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Mikel Arteta’s foundation of this Arsenal side is built on the midfield setup, as Martin Zubimendi has made himself a big part of the team. The Spanish international has taken no time to settle in, and it feels like he knows the system in and out.
However, this game against Chelsea is an occasion for a player like Zubimendi to showcase his absolute class. This clash will be decided on the midfield battle, as the Spaniard will be key to controlling to overload from Chelsea through Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, and Reece James. It will be a firm test of character for the Spaniard, who, alongside Declan Rice, has proven so far that they are the best midfield pairing in the league.
Prediction
Chelsea 1-2 Arsenal
Chelsea are in top form coming into the game, and they will be expected to put up a fight to get closer to the league leaders after Sunday. While the Blues are progressively improving under Maresca, they might lack the total quality to match Arsenal’s, which could be the slight difference in this game.
Arsenal once again showcased they are one of the best teams at the moment, and with the momentum from the Bayern Munich win, they are the slight favourites at Stamford Bridge. Mikel Arteta’s big game mentality, as well as the form the Gunners are in, could see them take three points with a narrow margin at the home of their rivals.