Arsenal vs Chelsea: Preview, Prediction & Lineups
Arsenal are preparing for their first London derby of the 2026/27 season as they welcome Chelsea to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Gunners overcame a tough test away to Aston Villa to sneak a 1-0 win in the West Midlands last time out. Bukayo Saka converted from close range as he met Riccardo Calafiori's low cross to knock a scuffed effort past Zion Suzuki, making it two wins from two so far.
Chelsea also continued their perfect start in their previous game, earning a hard-fought 4-3 victory over Brighton. The Seagulls were difficult to beat, but goals from Roméo Lavia, Pedro Neto, João Pedro and Cole Palmer got the Blues over the line.
With this being Arsenal's first clash with a capital rival this campaign, there is plenty of anticipation ahead of the clash, but Xabi Alonso's side have been tipped to be the team that pushes Mikel Arteta's squad for the title so this has potential to be an early decider between the two clubs.
Here's our preview of the Gunners' London derby clash with Chelsea.
Arsenal vs Chelsea kicks off on Sunday 6 September at 16:30 BST.
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Arsenal lost both Declan Rice and Cristhian Mosquera to knocks in the win over Aston Villa with the latter missing training on Thursday. While Arteta confirmed his withdrawal at Villa Park was a precaution, he could shift to the bench for Ezri Konsa to come in and make his full debut.
Bruno Guimarães was also absent with Mosquera, but his manager was hopeful he will be available tomorrow as he waited to see if he would make training today. If he is fit, he will likely appear as a substitute, meaning his wait for a first start goes on.
Jurrien Timber is now back in full training after some time out with a groin injury and there is a strong possibility he could return to the matchday squad against Chelsea, and if he does, he will be hoping to come off the bench and gain some valuable minutes.
Christos Tzolis struggled to make an impact against Villa, leading to his withdrawal at half-time. While Arteta clearly has full trust in the Greece international, Eberechi Eze could replace him on the left wing to make his first start of the season.
Predicted Arsenal lineup vs Chelsea: Raya; White, Konsa, Gabriel, Calafiori; Ødegaard, Lewis-Skelly, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Eze
Jordan Henderson (wrist) and Marco Palestra (unspecified) are also out of contention for Chelsea, whose talisman Cole Palmer could bag his 50th Premier League Blues goal on his 99th appearance this weekend.
Enzo Fernandez's deadline day move to Manchester City and the botched attempt to bring Lamine Camara in as a replacement leaves Chelsea light in midfield. Moises Caicedo is not a guarantee after causing problems with a current injury against Brighton so Malo Gusto and Roméo Lavia will likely fill in again.
Jordan Henderson and Marco Palestra remain unavailable for selection as they battle respective fitness issues. Emiliano Martinez is set for another return to his former side, this time donning the colours of Chelsea, so he will be prepared for a hostile reception at the Emirates.
The Blues' deadly attacking trio of João Pedro, Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers will likely start once again as they look to get the better of Arsenal's solid defence.
Predicted Chelsea lineup vs Arsenal: Martinez; Lacroix, Colwill, Fofana; James, Gusto, Lavia, Hato; Rogers, Palmer; Pedro
Arsenal have a formidable record against Chelsea in recent years and haven't lost since a 2-0 loss at the Emirates in August 2021, and that was just one of two defeats Mikel Arteta has suffered against the Blues as manager.
However, this Chelsea team looks like they have the best chance of finally overcoming their rivals on Sunday given their excellent start to the campaign.
Despite that, the Gunners are still the stronger team as while they have scored fewer goals, they are yet to concede, whereas the Blues have already let in five. Arsenal will face plenty of problems from Xabi Alonso's rampant side, but they should overcome their foes tomorrow.
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