There is no denying that English football is the most popular in the world. While the country gave us the sport and has the longest tradition in terms of high-quality competition, there are several other reasons why in modern times it is the most popular. The Premier League has the toughest competition in the world by far with the highest number of elite clubs that can take the title each season. Nowhere else is there a battle between 5 or 6 teams of roughly the same quality and talent vying for the title each season. In Spain and Germany, it is only a few. It used to be more competitive in Italy and things are looking up, but it is still far from English levels of competitiveness. And let us not even talk about France.
Between constant contenders like Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal, it is never an easy road to the title. Throw in teams like Tottenham, Everton, West Ham, and Aston Villa, and already the season is looking hellish. Of course, there are breakout seasons like the ongoing effort of Nottingham Forest, or that Leicester City dream season a while back. This makes it the most fun to watch, but also the best for online sports betting. And the creme de la creme, of course, are the derbies, and there are plenty of them. Two of the most popular are the Manchester derby, and the London derby, the latter of which we dissect in this article. With such a long and storied clash between two historically successful teams Arsenal and Chelsea, it makes sense why only the El Classico is considered bigger.
What Is It Exactly?
Right off the bat, we need to clear up a few things. Yes, London has a lot of Premier League clubs that are of varying success. And of course, all of them have their passionate fanbases and lifelong supporters who care less for the success and more for the love of their preferred club. Therefore, technically, the term “London Derby” can refer to quite a few matches, mainly between Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, Fulham, West Ham, and Crystal Palace. All of these teams compete at the highest level, but if you ask most fans, there is only one true London Derby, that between the Gunners versus the Blues, Arsenal versus Chelsea.
Football in London has roots back to the late 19th century when several clubs formed across the country. The early 1900s already saw some initial rivalries and the sport was rapidly professionalizing. Naturally, the intense nature of local rivalries was brewing and helped grow the sport, the clubs, and the fanbase’s hatred for one another, all in (mostly) healthy competition. Arsenal vs. Tottenham is called the North London Derby and it started in 1913. The West London Derby is between Chelsea and Fulham. While West London also houses Queens Park Rangers and Brentford, it is the former two who have been better and therefore taken over the derby.
The true derby, also called the London Rivalry, is between Arsenal and Chelsea. It is a match that has continuously grown in importance, culminating during the 1990s when both clubs regularly competed both in England and in Europe for the highest of honors. Since then, they have remained at the toplevel of the Premier League standings every year and have won many titles between each other, often thanks to a key win in the derby. While Chelsea has been more successful recently, Arsenal’s dominance in the 1990s and early 2000s is still unmatched. Currently, they are of similar strength and talent, as well as form, which is why the upcoming match is so eagerly awaited by both sides.
Key Players
As European powerhouses, both teams have had some big names within their ranks over the last several decades. Of course, all of them played key roles in the derby both in front of home crowds and away at the teams’ respective grounds of the Emirates Stadium and Stamford Bridge. As the most high-profile rivalry in English football, there was also plenty of drama. It is not the oldest rivalry, but it is the most important for the modern era of football evidenced by the huge number of stars who helped make the clubs, and the league, famous.
Under the legendary manager Arsene Wenger, Arsenal was the better side for well over a decade. They dominated the league winning trophies left and right, including the Invincible season in 2003/04. However, when Roman Abramovich took over and transformed the club in 2003, things changed and powers shifted. So as Arsenal slowly dwindled, Chelsea took over in the late 2000s and 2010s and brought dominance to the other side of London. They have had more success in Europe, winning UEFA Champions League and Europa League titles as well as domestic league and cups. The key players for Arsenal in the derby include Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Dennis Bergkamp, and Cesc Fabregas. For Chelsea, it was Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, and John Terry.
Henry played striker for Arsenal from 1999 to 2007 and is arguably their best player ever. The French legend scored stunners against Chelsea including a brilliant solo effort in a 3-1 win in 2004. Vieira was with the team between 1006 and 2005, a midfielder and a teammate of Henry. He captained the team during their best years and was always atop his game in the derby. He is famous for a public feud with Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, as well for midfield duels with Chelsea stars like Lampard. Bergkamp was another one of their teammates, playing for the team from 1995 to 2006. He was an AMF forward hybrid player, and therefore a creative genius. His passes and chances were crucial in many goals. The bond and offensive partnership he had with Henry is legendary. Fabregas came a bit later and player for the team from 2001 to 2011. He brought them a lot of success but committed the ultimate sin when he went to Chelsea in 2014, fueling the rivalry further.
On Chelsea’s side, it was the formidable, legendary trio of striker, midfielder, and defender connection of Drogba, Lampard, and Terry that dominated the league for about a decade. Lampard played for Chelsea from 2001 to 2014 and is the all-time top scorer for the team. One of his biggest moments in the derby was the strike in the 2009 FA Cup final that Chelsea won 2-1. Battling Vieira in the midfield is still remembered to this day. Drogba was a menace for the opposition, especially Arsenal, and a talisman figure for his team. He played for the team from 2004 to 2012 and had plenty of memorable goals against Arsenal, especially the one at Stamford Bridge in 2007 in a 2-0 win. Goal-scoring ability, aerial dominance, and physicality, he had it all. Terry was the anchor, a center-back from the old guard, with the team from 1998 to 2017. He was the captain for all the successful years and was a nightmare for Arsenal’s offense. Despite defending his own goal, he scored them too. Clean sheets were his specialty and he was one of those stars who thrived in big games.
Best Matches
As they say, you simply had to be there for them. It seems the best of the best is behind us as some of these matches will never be repeated, but you never know what the future holds.
The 2004/05 FA Cup final when Chelsea won 2-1 was one such match. It was the start for the Blues with Mourinho at the helm and the team poised for long-term success. Drogba scored the decisive goal and Arsenal was helpless.
Almost a decade later, another amazing game took place, again in the FA Cup Final and again with the score being 2-1. This time, Arsenal took the trophy. It was the seventh for Arsene Wenger, a record. Chelsea opened the scoring, but Alexis Sanchez and Aaron Ramsey turned it around for the Gunners.
In the League Cup final in 2007, Chelsea won 2-1 in what was another amazing performance by both sides. Arjen Robben’s dramatic late goal gave the Blues the win and continued the dominance in those years when the team seemed invincible.
The Stats So Far
When the all-time stats are concerned, Arsenal has been the better rival so far. In the 209 total meetings, the Gunners won 84 times. Chelsea won 66 games, with the remaining 59 ending in draws. Right now, under Arteta, the Gunners have been on the rise while the Blues were in a decline and are slowly picking themselves up. In the last 5 Premier League games against Chelsea, Arsenal was undefeated. This makes it a good case for sports betting fans to go with the red team once again this weekend as the recent trend favors them.
The most recent win game at the Emirates, was a 5-0 humiliation at the end of the 2023/24 season when Havertz scored a brace against his old team. In October 2023, there was a 2-2 draw at the Bridge, before which Arsenal won at the Emirates in May, 3-1, 1-0 at the Bridge in November 2022, and 4-2 in April 2022. The last time Chelsea won was in 2021/22, a 2-0 win at the Emirates when Romelu Lukaku and Reece James won it for the Blues. Their last home win was all the way back in 2018.
The leading goalscorers in the fixture are all legends that current players are trying to be like. Didier Drogba scored 13 goals in derby games, while Thiery Henry and former Chelsea star Bobby Tamling each have 10 to their name. The first meeting of the clubs took place on November 9, 1907, when Chelsea won 2-1. The largest victory in the derby belongs to Chelse when they thrashed Arsenal 6-0 on March 22, 2014.
Numerous players played for both teams. Most recently, first playing for Arsenal then Chelsea, are Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Olivier Giroud, Cesc Fabregas, Ashley Cole, and Nicolas Anelka. Recent players first who played for Chelsea and then for Arsenal include Raheem Sterling, Kai Havertz, Jorginho, Willian, David Luiz, and Petr Cech.
Odds and Predictions for November 10
Currently, Chelsea is 4th and Arsenal is 5th in the standings. They both have 5 wins, 3 draws, and 2 losses. Chelsea scored 20 goals and allowed 12, a goal difference of +8. Arsenal scored 17 and allowed 11 goals, a goal difference of +6. This is why the Blues are in front. However, Arsenal is currently in a better position as they are also playing in the UEFA Champions League. They won 2, drew 1, and lost 1 and are in the 12th place. These games give them experience and keep them in good form, as opposed to Chelsea who are playing in the Europa Conference League against very weak opposition. However, they are making the most of it and are at the top with 3 wins in 3 matches and the best goal difference of 13.
Then there is the upcoming London derby on Sunday, November 10. The game will be played on Stamford Bridge meaning Chelsea has the home advantage, but that means little for these derbies. Stake gives Arsenal better odds to win the game with 2.55 over the 2.75 for Chelsea. The draw is at 3.50 right now. Considering the form of both teams’ goalscorers, it should be a gun game to watch and bet on. Cole Palmer leads the 1st goalscorer odds with 6.20, followed by Kai Havertz with 6.80. Christopher Nkunku (7.20), Nicolas Jackson (7.40), and Bukayo Saka (7.60) follow them closely. It will be a great game for the punters considering the current state of affairs in the Premiership. A win for either team puts them firmly in the fourth place over the other, perhaps in the 3rd if Nottm Forest fumbles it. Arsenal is a slight favorite and they could improve their goal difference too should they keep a clean sheet.
