Chelsea and Arsenal will face each other on 20th April at Stamford Bridge in an enticing London derby. With Blues sitting comfortably in third spot, the Gunner would look at this match to make a strong claim for a fourth-place finish in the Premier League this campaign.
Mikel Arteta’s men are struggling at the moment, having recorded losses in their last three PL outings against Southampton, Brighton & Hove Albion, and Crystal Palace respectively. This means that the Blues could be slight favourites heading into the fixture.
The West London club had a rough patch in between after the international break with a heavy defeat to Brentford and an embarrassing loss to Real Madrid immediately after that. Thomas Tuchel has managed to steer the ship as Chelsea have looked clinical in their recent outings once again.
Arsenal preview
It is fair to say that momentum is certainly not on the side of Mikel Arteta’s men. The Gunners are notching one loss after another and the dream of UEFA Champions League qualification is slowly slipping away from their grasp. Will they manage to hold onto the CL participation? You can place your bet using the UK bookmakers sign up offers.
This term, the Blues managed to secure a dominant 0-2 victory in the reverse fixture. That being said, the North London club are young and dynamic and can give the best teams a run for their money on the right day.
Player to watch: Martin Ødegaard
The Norwegian midfielder has been a great presence in the middle of the park for the Emirates outfit. He bagged the solitary goal against Brighton & Hove Albion in their tepid defeat prior to the slender loss against Southampton.
The former Real Madrid man has played as an attacking midfielder, central midfielder as well as the second striker this season. Odegaard has bagged six goals and three assists in 29 PL matches to date this term, and his movement and build-up play could cause a real menace for us.
Chelsea preview
The Blues are coming into this match on a pretty decent run having defeated Crystal Palace in the Fa Cup semi-final. They also recorded a stellar 0-6 victory against Southampton in their last Premier League outing.
Chelsea have played Arsenal a total of 21 times in the Premier League since the 2011-12 season. During that period, the Stamford Bridge outfit have won 10, lost five, and drawn six times against the North London club.
Player to watch: Timo Werner
The German international hasn’t really enjoyed a smooth spell since arriving at Stamford Bridge. His performances have blown hot and cold this season, but we have got a view of what he can do in recent outings.
Werner bagged two goals against the Saints in our last PL encounter. He also scored an important goal against Los Blancos in the second leg of our UCL quarter-final tie. He is slowly starting to put forth more consistent performances and could have a big say in the match against Arsenal.
Predicted lineups
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Aaron Ramsdale, Nuno Tavares, Ben White, Gabriel, Cedric Soares, Granit Xhaka, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Bukayoko Saka, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, Eddie Nketiah.
Chelsea (3-4-1-2): Edouard Mendy, Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger, Thiago Silva, Reece James, Mateo Kovacic, N’Golo Kante, Marcos Alonso, Mason Mount, Timo Werner, Kai Havertz
