Arsenal v Chelsea Betting Markets
Arsenal are a backable 1.65 to overcome Chelsea in this Premier League clash. When you consider that thirty-three points separated the two teams in the standings last season, you could easily argue that this is a value price. The Gunners look just as strong as the previous campaign where they were able to win fifteen of their nineteen matches at the Emirates Stadium.
Mikel Arteta's side looked season-ready when demolishing Manchester City at Wembley Stadium and then cruised past newly-promoted Coventry City. They are looking slick in front of their own fans, with Martin Odegaard operating alongside Bukayo Saka and Christos Tzolis. There's also plenty of cutting edge from Kai Havertz who can get on the end of chances.
Chelsea lost seven times on the road last term en route to finishing tenth and outside the European qualifying spots. A higher finish looks to be on the cards this time around after wins against Fulham and Brighton. Xabi Alonso has the Blues playing exciting attacking football, with Cole Palmer returning back to his best form after a proper pre-season.
Even so, the fact that the visitors are available at 5.00 to win the game indicates that they could be doing plenty of defending in this clash. There are question marks defensively about a team who claimed a 3-2 victory at Craven Cottage before an even more exciting 4-3 victory against Brighton. They will have to be much better at the back, with Emiliano Martinez having arrived to be installed immediately as first-choice keeper.
The draw could be worth considering and it would be regarded as a very satisfactory outcome for the Blues who will have grand designs on winning the Premier League title. The hope will be that Moises Caicedo is available, with Romeo Lavia in for a difficult afternoon trying to stop the home side in their tracks.
Goals Under/Over
Despite Arsenal having a reputation for having a tight defence, Over 2.5 Goals is trading at shorter odds than Under 2.5 Goals. The price of 1.80 probably comes down to the fact that the Gunners began the campaign with 3-0 victories which demonstrates their ability to flex an attacking muscle. They haven't yet been monsters from set pieces, with the majority of goals instead netted from open play.
They play a Chelsea side whose matches thus far have featured five and seven goals respectively. It's possible that the visitors will have to modify their style for the trip to the Emirates which may mean a more defensive approach. They have players who can exploit the defence on the counter attack but a point on the road would be treasured. We're leaning towards a lower-scoring clash at around the even money mark.
BTTS
The BTTS Yes betting odds are available at a slightly shorter price than BTTS No. The game will obviously start goalless and much of this market comes down to whether you anticipate that Chelsea will find a way past stubborn opponents. It's hard to argue with a Blues side who have scored seven times in the Premier League in 180 minutes. They may well manage at least one goal here.
Similarly, Arsenal have found the net three times against Manchester City and Coventry City respectively. It appears that Bukayo Saka is fit and firing, with Christos Tzolis sure to cause problems on the left flank. They also carry that set piece threat and Riccardo Calafiori adds to the mix along with players such as Gabriel and new signing Ezri Konsa.
We think there could be merit in backing an Arsenal win and both teams to score here. Normally pairing the Gunners with BTTS No is the way forward, although Chelsea carry so many attacking possibilities. Joao Pedro has started off in excellent form and the same applies to Cole Palmer. It means that the home team will respect the opposition and both sides are likely to fashion so many chances.
First Goalscorer
Arsenal are the strong favourites to win this match, so it makes sense to firstly consider the likely players to score for the Gunners. Kai Havertz appears to be the first-choice centre forward and is likely to lead the line against his former club. The German is subtly effective and can cause problems for an inexperienced rearguard, while it's also worth considering the attacking trident behind him.
Martin Odegaard already has a couple of goals under his belt, netting against Coventry City and Manchester City, with the Norwegian carrying a threat from an attacking central midfield position. Bukayo Saka is likely to be on penalties and he was also on the scoresheet against the Sky Blues. Then there's Christos Tzolis who looks to cut in from the left flank and fire in shots.
Chelsea will hope that Joao Pedro can continue to excite in the centre forward position, with the Brazilian going up against compatriot Gabriel. If it's not the former Brighton man finding the net, then Cole Palmer can be a big threat. The former Manchester City player can dribble and score goals against any calibre of opposition. There's also Morgan Rogers who looks capable of providing an assist as much as scoring a goal.