Chelsea vs Arsenal preview, team news, how to watch, line-ups & prediction

Premier League football returns from the international break and we have a mouthwatering game to look forward to as Chelsea host Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening.

The break came at a bad time for the Gunners as they were in fine form having gone unbeaten in their opening eight league games so far this campaign. Mikel Arteta’s men secured solid wins over the likes of Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace, Man Utd, Everton and Bournemouth during the opening weeks of the new season. However, undoubtedly their best result came right before the hiatus when they finally beat defending champions Manchester City.

After six long years of losing, Arsenal came out on top at the Emirates Stadium two weeks ago when Gabriel Martinelli came off the bench to score a late winner during a 1-0 win over the Cityzens. It was a tense match in North London but Arsenal more than matched City and deserved to collect all three points in the end. That win should give them huge confidence that they can battle-it-out with Pep Guardiola’s side for the title this season and perhaps go one better than last year’s second placed finish.

Arsenal currently sit level on points with Tottenham at the top of the Premier League table – two points ahead of City – with only Tottenham’s superior goals scored record keeping them top of the pile. With Spurs not playing Fulham until Monday night, victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening would ensure the Gunners go clear at the summit for at least 48 hours.

They should be in confident mood off the back of their win over Man City, and Arsenal have won all three of their away games so far without conceding a goal. If they beat Chelsea to nil on Saturday, they’ll become the first team ever to win their opening four Premier League games without conceding a single goal.

However, Arsenal will be up against a rejuvenated Chelsea side who are finally finding some form after a difficult start to life under new boss Muaricio Pochettino. The Blues endured a torrid 2022/23 campaign which saw them finish 12th – a whopping 40 points behind Arsenal – and they picked up where they left off after winning just one of their opening six league games this season. Poor defeats at home to Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa coupled with just one point away to West Ham and Bournemouth pilled the pressure on Pochettino.

But the Argentinean coach managed to turn things around after winning each of their three games in all competition before the international break. Chelsea beat Brighton in the EFL Cup before a solid 2-0 win at rivals Fulham at Craven Cottage. Perhaps their best performance of the season came with a 4-1 win at Burnley last time out so Chelsea should be high on confidence heading into the Arsenal clash this weekend.

How to watch

The game will be broadcast live on Sky Sports at 5.30pm on Saturday evening. Subscribers will be able to watch all the action on their TV, or stream via the Sky Go app on smartphone or tablets.

Tickets for the game through official club channels sold out weeks ago. But Match going fans can still buy Chelsea vs Arsenal tickets at reputable reseller sites such as Seatsnet.com – but hurry as tickets are selling fast.

Team news

Chelsea will continue to deal with a number of injury issues that have plagued them so far this season. Wesley Fofana remains out with a knee injury while summer signing Christopher Nkunku is also still working his way back from a serious knee injury.

Ben Chilwell is out with a thigh problem, Romeo Lavia is still nursing an ankle injury that’s hampered him since he joined the club in the summer and Trevoh Chalobah remains out with a thigh injury. Carney Chukwuemeka is another absentee for the Blues as he’s ruled out with a knee problem.

In addition to those listed above, Chelsea are also sweating over the fitness of several other players. Axel Disasi will face a late fitness test on a thigh injury while Benoit Badiashile is also nursing his own thigh complaint. Cole Palmer is back in light training but it remains to be seen whether he’ll be passed fit to start against Arsenal.

Arsenal also have their own injury worries to contend with. Bukayo Saka missed the win over Man City due to a hamstring injury that he picked up against Lens. The winger was forced to withdraw from England duty and remains a doubt for the trip to Stamford Bridge this weekend.

Leandro Trossard will also face a late test after picking up a muscle injury against Man City that forced him off at half-time and kept him out of international duty with Belgium.

William Saliba also withdrew from the France squad due to a chronic toe issue that’s hampered him lately but he’s expected to be passed fit to start against Chelsea.

Arsenal’s summer signing Jurrien Timber is unlikely to play again this season after undergoing surgery on an ACL injury that he picked up on the opening weekend of the season.

Martinelli is fully fit and pushing for a recall to the starting eleven after scoring off the bench last time out for Arsenal. Thomas Partey could also be recalled to start in midfield after building up his fitness during the break having recovered from a groin injury.

Likely line-ups

Chelsea: Sanchez; Gusto, Disasi, Silva, Colwill; Fernandez, Caicedo, Gallagher; Palmer, Jackson, Sterling

Arsenal: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Rice, Partey; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli

Predicted score

Arsenal have enjoyed their recent trips to Stamford Bridge as they’ve won each of their last three Premier League trips to the ground. The Gunners have won six of their last seven meetings with Chelsea so this is a fixture they’ve enjoyed in recent seasons.

Arteta’s men will be favourites to claim all three points of Saturday but they shouldn’t underestimate a rejuvenated Chelsea team. Pochettino has been dealing with a crippling injury list but they still have a side packed with quality and it’s started to click recently.

These matches are usually entertaining and we should see goals this weekend. Chelsea are expected to give a good account of themselves but ultimately Arsenal should prove too strong, especially if Saka is passed fit to start. Chelsea 1-2 Arsenal