Chelsea vs Arsenal - Premier League: Team news, lineups & prediction
Chelsea host Arsenal on Sunday lunchtime in the latest iteration of a bitter London derby.
The Premier League's most successful capital clubs started fostering the toxicity bubbling beneath this fixture in the mid-2000s as the enmity between Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger boiled over.
Chelsea have finished above Arsenal in 16 of the last 18 seasons but Graham Potter will go head-to-head with Mikel Arteta trailing the division's early pace-setters by ten points.
Here's everything you need to know about what promises to be another enthralling encounter.
Where are Chelsea vs Arsenal playing?
- Location: London, England
- Stadium: Stamford Bridge
- Date: Sunday 6 November
- Kick-off Time: 12:00 GMT / 08:00 EST / 05:00 PST
- VAR: Jarred Gillett
- Referee: Michael Oliver
Chelsea vs Arsenal H2H Results (Last Five Games)
Chelsea: 1 Win
Arsenal: 4 Wins
Draws: 0
Current Form (Last Five Games)
Chelsea: WDDWW
Arsenal: WDLWW
Chelsea team news
Potter admitted that the hamstring injury Ben Chilwell suffered in the dying embers of Chelsea's midweek victory over Dinamo Zagreb is "not great". Fellow wingback Reece James had already been ruled out until the World Cup with a knee injury. The French duo of Wesley Fofana (knee) and N'Golo Kante (thigh) aren't set to feature for Chelsea before the winter tournament either.
Kepa Arrizabalaga has had his spot as Chelsea's number one robbed by a foot problem. Denis Zakaria marked his club debut with a goal in midweek but was forced off after a contact injury, though Potter was quick to insist there are "no problems with him".
Mateo Kovacic's availability isn't quite so certain. The midfielder was left out on Wednesday night with a calf complaint but may be available this weekend.
Chelsea predicted lineup vs Arsenal
Chelsea Starting 11 (4-2-3-1): Mendy; Azpilicueta, Chalobah, Silva, Cucurella; Loftus-Cheek, Jorginho; Pulisic, Mount, Sterling; Aubameyang.
Bench: Bettinelli, Zakaria, Koulibaly, Havertz, Broja, Ziyech, Gallagher, Hutchinson, Kovacic.
Arsenal team news
Arsenal's Thursday night victory over FC Zurich saw the return of Mohamed Elneny from a lengthy absence. Oleksandr Zinchenko also made his first squad in a month. The left-back may be ushered into the starting XI after Takehiro Tomiyasu pulled up with a hamstring problem in midweek.
Bukayo Saka limped off against Nottingham Forest last Sunday but only missed a couple of training sessions and came off the bench against Zurich.
Emile Smith Rowe remains sidelined with a long-term groin problem while backup goalkeeper Matt Turner is also dealing with some discomfort in the same area.
Arsenal predicted lineup vs Chelsea
Arsenal Starting 11 (4-3-3): Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Partey, Xhaka; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli.
Bench: Hein, Tierney, Nketiah, Holding, Soares, Vieira, Sambi, Nelson, Marquinhos.
Chelsea vs Arsenal score prediction
It's become a bit of a pattern for Chelsea to start slowly under Potter before the feted tactician can tinker to counteract the opposition. Although, Brighton were the first team to take full advantage of this grogginess last week.
Arsenal are very much capable of punishing a sluggish opening as the Premier League's fastest starters, scoring an unrivalled 11 goals in the first 30 minutes of matches.
While Chelsea hold the upper hand of home advantage and 24 hours extra rest, Arsenal's youthful, settled pace-setters have all the tools to overwhelm a team getting to grips with the complex demands of a new manager - though a draw may be the most likely outcome.
Prediction: Chelsea 2-2 Arsenal