Match Result: Chelsea v Arsenal
The top two teams in the Premier League meet on Sunday afternoon and there’s a chance for Chelsea to make this a title race. The Blues were made to work hard for a 2-0 win at Turf Moor last weekend and now entertain a London rival who are six points ahead of them in the standings. Enzo Maresca’s side are the outsiders to win, with the home side only winning three of their six home games played thus far.
They’ve largely failed to convince in front of their own fans. Defeats have been suffered against Brighton and Sunderland. They were also held to a draw by Crystal Palace, with a last-gasp win enjoyed against Liverpool along with successes against Fulham and Wolves. They continue to operate without Cole Palmer although they have several in-form operators including Pedro Neto.
Arsenal have won four of their six road matches this term, having been beaten at Anfield and held to a relatively recent 2-2 draw at the Stadium of Light. Beyond this, they have claimed victories at Old Trafford, St James’ Park, Turf Moor and Craven Cottage. They know how to get the job done and might not miss Gabriel too much even if the Brazilian is such a leader for them.
Indeed, Mikel Arteta’s side have registered fifteen victories in all competitions. They are playing with bags of confidence and Jurrien Timber is pushing from right-back into advanced positions, with Declan Rice continuing to prove he’s one of the best central midfield players in the world. Arsenal are warm favourites to get the job done although their odds imply that a Chelsea win or the draw is still more likely than an away victory.
Goals Under/Over
The bookies make it dealer’s choice when it comes to Over and Under 2.5 Goals. The case for Under can be backed up by the fact that Arsenal have a brilliant defence. The rearguard have only shipped six goals in the space of twelve top-flight clashes. In their previous away game, Sunderland managed to find the net twice although clean sheets have been landed at Old Trafford, Craven Cottage and Turf Moor.
Although Gabriel is a big miss, Piero Hincapie looks to be an adequate replacement. Chelsea concede an average of one goal per home match right now, while their goal output is relatively modest. They have kept three consecutive clean sheets in the Premier League against Spurs, Wolves and Burnley, although that outcome is far less likely against the league leaders. We do think the Unders covers a lot of the scorelines we want to get onside including 1-0 and 2-0 to either side along with the goalless draw and the 1-1 draw.
BTTS
The bookies make BTTS Yes slightly more likely than BTTS No. Ultimately, Arsenal have only drawn a blank in one of their twelve games played. That was at Anfield but they are now fresh from a 4-1 victory against Tottenham where a host of chances were created throughout the encounter. Eberechi Eze, Leandro Trossard and Bukayo Saka were all on top form in that game and we can expect them to pose a big scoring threat here.
Chelsea have also been among the goals in every game aside from an opener against Crystal Palace which ended in a goalless draw. They had five shots on target at Turf Moor in their previous clash after previously scoring three times against Wolves, although both of these sides are relegation candidates and this is a whole new world for them. It’s telling that Enzo Maresca’s side only scored once in games against Sunderland and Brighton.
We think it’s dangerous to opt for BTTS Yes at odds-on when considering that Arsenal are so prone to keeping clean sheets. Aside from a Richarlison wonder goal at the Emirates, Tottenham didn’t come close to scoring a goal and Chelsea will have to figure out a way of posing a threat without compromising themselves defensively. Much will depend on whether Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez can wrest control of the midfield.
First Goalscorer
Let’s start with Ebere Eze. After scoring just one Premier League goal before the north London derby, the England star pilfered a hat-trick in the north London derby with similar goals. The 27-year-old is entering the peak of his career and might once again prove to be the match winner when he lines up in this encounter.
There are lots of other potential Arsenal scorers. Bukayo Saka is almost certainly on penalties and has six goals in all competitions this term. That includes three goals in his previous six appearances, with the right-sided forward ghosting into dangerous areas. He’s often supported by Jurrien Timber who is a big price to find the net considering that he often forms part of the attack rather than a typical right-back.
Leandro Trossard has also scored in back-to-back Premier League matches, with Pedro Neto probably the most likely Chelsea scorer. The Portuguese has notched in consecutive top-flight encounters, with the 25-year-old posing a lively threat with his pace and power. Enzo Fernandez is also a possibility and we’re likely to see the Argentine on penalties in the absence of Cole Palmer.