Arsenal return to Emirates Stadium on Sunday looking to make it three Premier League wins from three when Chelsea arrive for a huge London derby.
Mikel Arteta’s side followed their opening victory with a 1-0 win away at Aston Villa, while Chelsea have also collected maximum points after beating Fulham and Brighton.
With both teams perfect so far, something has to give at the Emirates.
Chelsea Make a Fast Start Under Alonso
Xabi Alonso has settled quickly after taking over at Chelsea, winning his opening two league matches and also recording a League Cup victory.
The Blues beat Fulham before edging Brighton 4-3, with their attack already looking dangerous.
Morgan Rogers, Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro have combined impressively in the opening weeks, while Chelsea’s attacking wing-backs have also given them another threat going forward.
However, the amount of change within their squad may give Arsenal something to exploit.
Chelsea have already conceded five goals in their opening two Premier League matches and have looked vulnerable from balls into the box and set pieces.
Arsenal’s Defensive Strength Could Be Crucial
The contrast between the two sides defensively has been significant so far.
Arsenal have faced just 11 shots across their opening two Premier League matches, with only one hitting the target. Their opponents have generated just 0.54 xG.
That defensive control could be crucial against a Chelsea team that have scored seven league goals already.
Arteta is certainly wary of their attacking threat.
Speaking ahead of the match, he pointed to Chelsea’s ability to score early and change the momentum of games, while also acknowledging Alonso’s ability to set his team up in different ways.
Arsenal Have Dominated This Fixture Recently
Recent history certainly favours the Gunners.
Arsenal are unbeaten in their last nine Premier League meetings with Chelsea, winning six and drawing three.
The Blues have also lost their last four league visits to the Emirates by an aggregate score of 11-2, with their last victory here coming in August 2021.
Arsenal’s wider London derby record is equally impressive, with just one defeat in their last 29 Premier League games against teams from the capital.
Both clubs arrive with confidence, both have six points, and Chelsea clearly possess enough attacking quality to cause problems.
But Arsenal’s recent dominance in this fixture and their defensive solidity should give Arteta’s men every reason to believe they can maintain their perfect start.
Have Your Say
How confident are you ahead of Arsenal v Chelsea? Can the Gunners make it three wins from three, or will Chelsea’s new-look attack cause problems at the Emirates?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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Our defense have to remain compact. Chelsea wide men are capable of drawing them out of positions for their dangerous front three to exploit. Jao Pedro and his associates are one unit of terrorists that can terrorist any defense in the world .
Chelsea defense is any attacker’s meal. Let’s feast on them .
The great AFTER REVIEW ref Kavanagh visits Emirates.
Probable line up was not shown in the preview but I feel we’ll see the pairings of Magalhaes and Konsa.
I think Arsenal have some difficulty winning 3 season openers in a row.
Rogers said Chelsea are the biggest in London.
This Alonso’s Chelsea are not possession obsessed. This helps our midfields to dictate the rhythm of the game. Winning by 2 goals margin is necessary to top the table.
They score; we score. 3-2.
This is where our revered defense need to stand strong. Our current strength is in our defense and midfield.
For me it’s our attack that is open to question, and it’s here that it’ll be interesting to see if they can outscore Chelsea.
Our first real test of the season is today. Lets see what kind of Champions we really are.
I don’t care what the score is as long as we get the 3 points.
It will be very tough but we can do it
COYG
Arteta against Spanish coaches like Emery Pep Enrique Iraola is not that great. Alonso?
I have been impressed how Alonso has handled the media. He seems so down to earth, pragmatic, fair. In comparison the new Spuds manager is a court jester.
Very true, i think De Zerbi is just a coach, he doesn’t handle pressers that great somewhat like Amorim
Oh. I was in the wrong chat, wondered why it was flat. The excitements building in here. 🙂
This is what I put in the other match discussion thread:
“I’m expecting a different approach from Chelsea today. They have been playing handbrake off football, and all three opponents happy to do the same against them. They will be afraid that will lead to defeat today, so Chelsea will be different. There’s a discussion that perhaps Chelsea shouldn’t put handbrake on, that this is a free hit. Truth is, it’s not a free hit. A result builds their momentum, a defeat for a side in transition could lead to a downturn.”
What I meant by it, even if Chelsea play an unchanged 11, if play with handbrake on, JP Morgan will perform different.
We need fear nobody anymore – I could care less about their attack. Yes they might score but we’ll score too. We are at home right? We’ve one of the best goalies in the EP, together with arguably the best squad. Not a good idea for CFC to come puff their big-chest out at Emirates Stadium, certainly not advisable. Yes they can play well BUT we play better and that’s the [top n bottom] of how this match will play out.
*Players to watch: Calafiori, Odegaard, Havertz and in the second-half Merino to seal it.
Congrats Arsenal Women for kicking off the season with an away win.
Brighton 0-1 Arsenal.
New signings Stanway and Baum starred.
💖