Tuesday night’s Premier League London derby at the Emirates will see Arsenal and Chelsea rekindle their feud.
Team Form
Arsenal
Arsenal faced their toughest challenge yet in their pursuit of the title, going up against a formidable Manchester City side who taught their former employee Mikel Arteta a harsh footballing lesson in a 4-1 defeat.
Thanks to Man City’s 2-1 triumph over Fulham, Arteta’s men have been knocked off their perch and into second place.
The Gunners’ recent form has been erratic, with the team scoring and conceding in their last seven games. However, despite this, Arsenal have only failed to score at the Emirates once this season – a testament to their attacking prowess.
Unfortunately, Arsenal’s recent performances have been marred by their defensive struggles. In their last four games, they conceded a concerning 11 goals, leaving fans and analysts questioning their ability to compete at the highest level.
Arsenal PL Form: W D D D L
Chelsea
As each week passes, it becomes increasingly clear that Todd Boehly’s decision to bring Frank Lampard back to Stamford Bridge was not right. Lampard’s losing streak has now stretched to five games after a 2-0 defeat to West London rivals Brentford.
Crystal Palace’s recent success has seen them overtake Chelsea in the Premier League standings, leaving Lampard’s team just 10 points clear of the relegation zone.
The team’s struggles have been evident in their recent form, with Chelsea winless in their last eight matches since a 3-1 victory over Leicester City in March.
Since Lampard’s return, the team has only scored one goal – Conor Gallagher’s deflected strike against Brighton. Additionally, they have only won one of their last 10 Premier League away games.
As Chelsea prepares to face Arsenal at the Emirates, Lampard seeks to avoid an unwanted piece of history. A loss in this game would mark Chelsea’s 20th defeat of the season, a milestone not reached in the club’s Premier League era since 1987-88.
Chelsea PL Form: L D L L L
Squad Report
Arsenal
William Saliba has been dealing with a back problem, which has made his availability for the upcoming game against Chelsea highly unlikely. Manager Mikel Arteta confirmed this news before Arsenal’s recent defeat to Manchester City.
Takehiro Tomiyasu and Mohamed Elneny were both sidelined with season-ending knee injuries.
Chelsea
Mason Mount and Reece James have been ruled out for the remainder of the season due to pelvic and thigh problems, while Marc Cucurella is also set to miss a few weeks of action with a similar issue.
The situation is further complicated by the absence of Armando Broja (knee) and reserve goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli (unspecified), who are also nursing injuries.
Kalidou Koulibaly and Kai Havertz are also carrying injuries. Havertz is expected to be fit in time for the derby.
Arsenal’s expected starting lineup:
Ramsdale; White, Holding, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Xhaka, Partey; Saka, Odegaard, Trossard; Jesus
Chelsea’s expected starting lineup:
Kepa; Chalobah, Silva, Fofana, Chilwell; Fernandez, Kante, Gallagher; Felix, Havertz, Sterling
Head to Head
The Gunners have historically held the upper hand regarding head-to-head records between Arsenal and Chelsea.
Out of the 206 matches played between the two sides, Arsenal have emerged victorious on 82 occasions, while Chelsea have claimed 66 wins. The remaining matches have ended in draws.
Time, Date & Venue
Date: Tuesday, May 02
Time: 08:00 pm, UK Time
Venue: Emirates Stadium, London
Prediction
With Chelsea coming to the Emirates Stadium as a side struggling with morale, Arsenal will see this as an excellent opportunity to get back to their winning ways.
