football.london reporters have picked their Arsenal starting XIs for the crunch Premier League clash against Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium
07:00, 28 Feb 2026
Arsenal
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Arsenal host Chelsea on Sunday in the Premier League
Arsenal are looking to jump through another hoop against Chelsea on the long-winding road to Premier League title glory.
The Gunners will undoubtedly take confidence from the fact they have already defeated Liam Rosenior's Blues twice in recent months in the Carabao Cup semi-finals.
Kai Havertz's last-gasp winner was enough to settle the second-leg at the Emirates Stadium but Chelsea will be out for revenge and they have Champions League qualification ambitions of their own to fulfil.football.london reporters Tom Canton (chief Arsenal reporter) and Ryan Taylor have selected their Arsenal starting XIs for the match-up.
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Tom Canton - Chief Arsenal Reporter
This is a rare scenario where Arsenal have enjoyed a midweek off from action following their success in the North London Derby.
It has also allowed time for recovery and rehabilitation to continue and although I look forward to Kai Havertz's return it is unlikely to be here – unless on the bench.
I would not change anything from the team that beat Spurs with Eberechi Eze still at the heart of the Arsenal midfield.
He stepped up in a big way last weekend and now needs to show form and consistency, which in the run-ins of campaigns he has tended to do.
Viktor Gyokeres too has a lot of focus on him and the Swede scoring in back-to-back league games will be a huge boost for him and the club. Elsewhere, the hope is Jurrien Timber has recovered from any issue he was carrying.Canton’s Arsenal XI vs Chelsea: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Zubimendi, Rice, Eze; Saka, Gyokeres, Trossard
Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze of Arsenal during a training sesssion at Sobha Realty Training Centre on January 30, 2026 in London Colney, England
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Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze should start for Arsenal(Image: Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Ryan Taylor
In what is a real rarity, Arsenal have had a full week of training to prepare for Sunday's clash against Chelsea.
But in many respects, Mikel Arteta's starting XI will likely be dictated by what happened last weekend at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the North London Derby.
Eberechi Eze was back amongst the goals and he's surely done enough to warrant another start against the Blues.
What could also shape Arteta's XI is the return of Kai Havertz, providing he is fit as anticipated, while Martin Odegaard is also ready to start after coming off the bench against Spurs.
But I would be tempted to stick with the side that scored four versus the Europa League winners with a view to bringing players off the bench.
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For that reason, I would name an unchanged XI, provided everybody is fit. Havertz is a great option up top but Viktor Gyokeres is in red-hot form while Leandro Trossard just about edges Gabriel Martinelli on the left-wing.Taylor's Arsenal XI to face Chelsea: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Zubimendi, Rice, Eze; Saka, Trossard, Gyokeres.
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