Chris Sutton, a former Premier League striker, thinks Arsenal will beat Chelsea in the big London derby at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. He believes the visitors will be “too powerful” for the Blues.
Chelsea’s defense has been strong lately, with three straight clean sheets. Arsenal, on the other hand, comes into the game fresh off a big win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Enzo Maresca’s team wants to cut Arsenal’s lead at the top of the Premier League table, but the BBC expert thinks the Gunners will win all three points in west London. Sutton told BBC Sport that he wants a clear winner, not a tie. He said:
“This is a big one – second versus first – and it is not the time to sit on the fence…
“I like what Enzo Maresca is doing at Chelsea and he is another manager who sticks to his principles in the way his team play. Chelsea have kept three clean sheets in a row now too, so they are looking pretty solid at the back, but I still think Arsenal will be too powerful for them and win 2-0.”
Sutton pointed out that Arsenal is flexible and tactically mature, which was clear in their European win in the middle of the week:
“Mikel Arteta’s side showed how good they are when they beat Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday… They have shown they can beat any team in any way – out-muscle them, out-fight them or out-play them – and they will be ready for Chelsea.”
Chelsea also had a good night in Europe on Tuesday, beating Barcelona 3-0 with a tactical setup that used speed in attack. Sutton agreed that this was a threat, but he still thought the league leaders would win:
“Maresca might go with some pace up top again like he did against Barcelona’s high line, but Arsenal will have too much nous for them and I actually think they will win pretty comfortably… Chelsea have made a really good start to the season but I don’t see them, or anyone else, pushing Arsenal close in the title race.”
What Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca said about playing Arsenal
Enzo Maresca has said that, even though the game against the league leaders is crucial, he is treating it like any other game in terms of points. Before the game, the Italian coach said that everyone was excited after the win over Barcelona, but he stressed the need to refocus quickly:
“I said after [Barcelona] it is another big game on Sunday. We finish one against Barcelona, as you say we won and it was a good feeling. Now we have another one.”
He continued:
“For me, they are all important games. For sure, beating Barcelona is good and if we are able to beat Arsenal, it is a nice feeling. But in the end it is three points and then on Wednesday we have Leeds which is another three points. We will try our best to beat Arsenal and then we will see.”