Two of the Premier League’s top four go head-to-head in London derby action on Sunday afternoon (1.30pm UK) as Chelsea cross the capital for a crunch game in the race for Europe.
The Blues will be looking to cut the six-point gap that currently exists between the teams, but to halve that deficit they’ll have to end a six-game wait for an away league victory, the same length of matches they’ve been searching for a victory over ourselves.
We have lost just one of our last 10 against the Blues with that solitary loss coming back in 2021, and as we look to get back to winning ways ourselves, Mikel Arteta will be keen to see that form continue ahead of the international break.
Winter blues for Chelsea
The Blues headed into the Christmas period being talked about as potential title challengers, as they sat second in the table, two points behind Liverpool. However they won one of their next six matches to slide out of the Champions League spots they crave to end the campaign in.
A 2-1 win over West Ham at the start of February was a false dawn as defeats to Brighton and Aston Villa followed, but the Blues bounced back by beating Southampton 4-0 and Leicester City by a single goal to win as many league encounters as in their previous 10. Both of those were at Stamford Bridge though, and they’re currently on a six-game search for an away win in the league, losing each of the last three.
After being knocked out of the FA Cup at the fourth round stage by Brighton, their hopes of silverware lie with the Conference League, and having cruised through the group stage scoring 26 goals in six games, Chelsea beat Copenhagen 3-1 on aggregate with Thursday’s 1-0 win in the second leg of the last 16.
What the managers say
Arteta: “I think the way they develop as a team as well is very impressive, what they’ve done on the coaching staff, the amount of talent that they have in the squad. So yes, a really tough match, but a big chance for us to win the game.
“I think we’re two teams that want to be very dominant in the way of playing, are very aggressive on the high press and the way we have to have the ball. There’s a lot of individual quality on that pitch so it’s about imposing what you want and the direction that you want to take the game and keep them very far from their strengths. I think that’s going to be a key thing as well.”
Maresca: “‘The gap right now is quite big, and the reason why is because they are working with the same manager for five years, so the difference is quite important.
“With the same players, they have already played in some important games, but our target and duty is to close that gap between us and them. In this moment, the table shows the difference is six points, so we are quite close and have ten games to go. We’re not focused on whether they can be three, six or nine [points ahead]. We are focused on our game and how we try to beat them. Hopefully, we can beat them and we will be closer.”
Team news
Bukayo Saka is getting closer but is still not ready for a return from his hamstring injury, while ex-Blue Kai Havertz is one of three players out for the remainder of the season, which includes Gabriel Jesus and Takehiro Tomiyasu.
Malo Gusto missed recent games against Leicester and Copenhagen, while Reece James returned from injury as a substitute in the latter.
Forwards Nicolas Jackson, Noni Madueke and Marc Guiu have all been out since early February with hamstring issues and will sit this one out, while Mykhaylo Mudryk is serving a provisional doping ban after testing positive for meldonium back in December.
Talking tactics
Adrian Clarke, writing in the official matchday programme: Maresca’s preferred formation is a 4-2-3-1, but in possession his side often look more like a 3-2-5. The Italian likes one of his full-backs to push on into very advanced areas and swing the other around to make up a back three when they build from deep. Left back Marc Cucurella is the man most likely to take up attacking positions, often popping up as an unorthodox inside forward.
Chelsea boast the second highest average share of the ball this term, on 58%. As they are so capable of pinning rival teams back, the Blues have had the third-highest number of shots in 2024/25. In terms of expected goals, they also rank second in the division. In my opinion, Chelsea are at their most threatening on the counter. Liverpool are the only side to have had more shots from fast breaks than Maresca’s men, who have scored seven times on the counter-attack.The central midfield unit of Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, with Cole Palmer in front as a No. 10 is the beating heart. When space opens, they love to slide through balls in behind – and in that department they are the joint most productive team in the division alongside Aston Villa. The absence of injured striker Nicolas Jackson has impacted this strength though. Without his blistering speed they are not finding it as easy to penetrate opposition backlines.
Individual errors have plagued them all season. Remarkably, only Southampton have seen more errors lead to shots against them than the west Londoners who have leaked 12 goals from individual mistakes.
Facts and stats
We are unbeaten in our last six Premier League games against Chelsea, our longest run without a league defeat against them since a run of 19 between 1995 and 2005.
We have won six of our last nine league games against the Blues – our previous six in the competition came over a 32-game period between 2004 and 2020.
Since the start of the 2021/22 season, Chelsea have only won three of their 19 Premier League away games against sides starting the day above them in the table.
The Blues have lost just one of their last eight away London derbies in the Premier League, however that defeat was a 5-0 loss in this exact fixture last term.
We lost 1-0 against West Ham in our last home league match – we’ve never lost back to-back London derbies at Emirates Stadium in the Premier League, last doing so at home in the 2005/06 campaign (vs Chelsea and West Ham at Highbury).
Martin Odegaard has had a hand in six Premier League goals against Chelsea (2 goals, 4 assists); against no side has he been involved in more.
If he plays, this will be Ethan Nwaneri’s last appearance before turning 18. No player under the age of 18 has ever scored in a Premier League London derby.
Each of Chelsea’s last nine Premier League goals against us have been scored by different players.
Marc Cucurella has scored in both of his last two Premier League appearances, as many as in his first 69 for Chelsea. Manchester City’s Josko Gvardiol (5) is the only defender to score more Premier League goals than him.
Match officials
Chris Kavanagh has been handed this fixture, and the previous three Gunners games he has been appointed to this term have all ended in draws – the home game against Brighton when he sent off Declan Rice, the away trip to Fulham and the visit of Aston Villa in January.
You have to go back to November 2022 when Chelsea last won under his watch, a run of seven matches which includes last season’s League Cup final loss to Liverpool. He averages 5.1 yellow cards per game this term, more than any top-flight official, while Rice is one of four players he has dismissed in the Premier League.
Referee: Chris Kavanagh
Assistants: Lee Betts, James Mainwaring
Fourth official: Sam Barrott
VAR: Jarred Gillett
Assistant VAR: Darren Cann
Previous visits from Chelsea
The Blues have lost their last two away games against us, and we’re seeking a run of three for the first time since between 2001 and 2003. Last season saw us hammer Frank Lampard’s team, with braces from Kai Havertz and Ben White added to by a Leandro Trossard goal.
The season before saw Martin Odegaard net twice and Gabriel Jesus was also on target in May 2023, while the west Londoners’ last success on our patch came back in August 2021 when Romelu Lukauku and Reece James netted.
Live coverage
You can watch our Live from N5 match preview show, where Nicole Holliday and Jeremie Aliadiere will be in the studio.
Perry Groves joins us as we look ahead to our Champions League tie with Real Madrid, and we’ll share the best bits of Arsenal social media from the week just gone.
Kieran Tierney and Neto take on our headphone challenge before we chat to Capital Xtra’s Omah Howard.
UFC fighter Lone’er Kavanagh is also with us ahead of his fight at the O2 Arena, and there will be a round of The Celebration Game
Adrian Clarke brings you all you need to know about Chelsea before live commentary from Dan Roebuck.
You can also find out which broadcasters are showing the action live, wherever you are in the world.
