Arsenalvs.Chelsea

The Blues can move to within three points of the Gunners in the top-flight table by coming up trumps this weekend, although neither side has been pulling up trees on the attacking front.

Match preview

Another day, another brand-new controversy involving Arsenal, whose wall was further back than permitted when Bruno Fernandes crashed home a delightful free kick for Manchester United last weekend, although David Raya did not cover himself in glory either.

Mikel Arteta's toothless attack had little in the way of a response to Fernandes's fabulous set-piece, until Declan Rice's fine strike from outside the area both ended Arsenal's two-game goal drought in the top flight and enabled them to take home a point from Old Trafford.

However, with Liverpool doing the business against Southampton a day earlier, Arsenal's 15-point gap to the leaders is surely insurmountable, and a miffed Arteta was in no mood to discuss the race for glory in Manchester as he dashed out of his post-match interview.

Even the top four is not a safe bet for an Arsenal side now without a win in three Premier League matches, as well as just two victories from their last seven in all tournaments, including an action-packed 2-2 stalemate with PSV Eindhoven in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.

That four-goal affair proved trivial thanks to the Gunners' 7-1 obliteration in leg one, meaning that they have a blockbuster quarter-final with Real Madrid to look forward to next month, but the current task at hand will be avoiding a club first at the Emirates Stadium.

Since moving to their new home in 2006, Arsenal have never lost successive Premier League London derbies on their own patch, but West Ham United's 1-0 success a few weeks ago leaves them at risk of that unwanted feat.

Speaking of teams being found wanting in the final third, Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has been drawing similar criticism for his team's supposed passive style of play, which was on full show during the visits of both Leicester City and Copenhagen.

The Blues may have prevailed in both games, but they had to rely on a cracking Marc Cucurella goal to get the better of the Foxes in last weekend's Premier League win, before Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall struck the only goal in Thursday's Conference League battle.

The facts of the matter are that Chelsea are into the Conference League quarters and have won four in a row in all tournaments, but barring a 4-0 thrashing of doomed Southampton, none of those successes have been emphatic, and their top-four standing remains under threat.

Indeed, Manchester City could leapfrog Maresca's side with three points against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, and the Blues may not possess the wherewithal to respond if a three-game losing run in Premier League away matches is anything to go by.

The Blues have now failed to win any of their last six top-flight games on the road since slaying Arsenal's bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur in December's seven-goal spectacular, and they are coincidentally now also winless in six Premier League matches versus the Gunners, even if they were good value for November's draw at Stamford Bridge.

Arsenal Premier League form:

W

W

W

L

D

D

Arsenal form (all competitions):

W

L

D

W

D

D

Chelsea Premier League form:

L

W

L

L

W

W

Chelsea form (all competitions):

L

L

W

W

W

W

Team News

There should be no change to Arsenal's fitness situation for the visit of Chelsea, which Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee), Bukayo Saka (hamstring), Kai Havertz (hamstring) and Gabriel Jesus (ACL) will all sit out.

However, Gabriel Martinelli should now be primed for a first start since recovering from his hamstring injury, and the Brazilian is a genuine option in the number nine role, where he and Leandro Trossard could very well alternate in-game.

Ethan Nwaneri was overlooked for a place in Thomas Tuchel's first England squad, but the 17-year-old could write a new chapter of history on Sunday by becoming the first player under the age of 18 to score in a Premier League London derby.

On Chelsea's side, Maresca also remains without his own batch of long-term absentees in Nicolas Jackson (hamstring), Marc Guiu (hamstring), Noni Madueke (hamstring) and Omari Kellyman (fitness), as well as the suspended Mykhaylo Mudryk.

Blues fans are also waiting with bated breath to hear whether Malo Gusto will be fit to take on the Gunners; the French defender has missed his side's last two matches due to a knock to the ankle.

Either Wesley Fofana or Reece James - fresh from a call-up to the England squad - should fill the right-back void if Gusto is unavailable, although Maresca has declared that he views the latter as more of an option in midfield.

Arsenal possible starting lineup:

Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Nwaneri, Martinelli, Trossard

Chelsea possible starting lineup:

Sanchez; James, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Sancho, Palmer, Nkunku; Neto

We say: Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea

Do not expect sparks to fly at the Emirates Stadium this weekend, as Sunday's London derby pits together two sides who often enjoy plentiful possession without a killer final pass or shot to show for it.

Written by

Ben Knapton

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