Kick-off: 1200, 06/11/2022
Stadium: Stamford Bridge
TV: BT Sport
Arsenal’s Premier League title credentials will come under scrutiny again when they visit Chelsea in Sunday’s lunchtime London derby.
The Gunners dropped points in their last away game at Southampton and this Stamford Bridge clash represents an even tougher test.
We reckon Mikel Arteta may have to settle for another draw at 12/5 in our first Chelsea vs Arsenal prediction.
Chelsea Odds
Chelsea have slipped down to sixth in the table after going three domestic matches without a win.
The Blues followed up draws with Brentford and Manchester United by crashing to a 4-1 defeat at Brighton.
That was a chastening experience for former Albion boss Graham Potter but Wednesday’s 2-1 Champions League victory over Dynamo Zagreb here boosted morale.
Losing defender Ben Chilwell to injury marred that triumph, but it meant Chelsea are now unbeaten in eight home matches this term.
“We’ve just had an incredibly challenging October,” said Potter on the club website. “We were in a situation where had to get results.
“We lost key players in terms of Wesley Fofana and Reece James and there’s always a little bit of stability that’s affected when that happens.
“It’s not always straightforward to find the right solutions, but we’ve had one defeat in 11 games.”
Raheem Sterling ended a run of eight games without a goal when netting in midweek and appeals at 9/4 to score again here in the Chelsea vs Arsenal odds.
The England winger had a good record against the Gunners when with Manchester City, scoring in four straight Premier League meetings at one stage.
Last Chelsea line-up: Mendy, Chalobah, Chilwell, Koulibaly, Azpilicueta, Jorginho, Mount, Zakaria, Havertz, Aubameyang, Sterling.
Potter does not expect goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga (plantar fascia) to be available until after the World Cup, while Carney Chukwuemeka is ruled out with a hamstring issue.
Midfielder Mateo Kovacic looks set to return after missing the midweek Champions League clash with a calf issue.
Arsenal Odds
Arsenal are still two points clear at the top of the table after romping to a 5-0 home win over Nottingham Forest and beat FC Zurich 1-0 in the Europa League on Thursday.
Arteta said of that victory: “We didn’t control certain situations and we had to dig in, which we did. We found a way to win and we are top of the group.”
However, the Gunners do now have to answer some questions about their away form.
Having lost 3-1 at Manchester United in September, they were held to a 1-1 draw at Southampton last month before going down 2-0 to PSV in Eindhoven.
It would certainly help here if Gabriel Jesus could snap an eight-game goal drought and recapture the cutting edge which saw him score five times in his first eight outings for the club.
“He is getting the chances, contributing to the team an awful lot, helping us to win matches and the way he competes for every single ball is incredible,” insisted Arteta.
“It will come. He needs to be patient. He’s been through these spells in the past and he needs to learn those lessons and not stop doing the things he does so well.”
One positive omen is that Jesus grabbed the winning goal when Manchester City prevailed at Stamford Bridge last term!
Let’s add 2/1 for Jesus to strike at any time to our Chelsea vs Arsenal betting tips, along with 23/2 for a 2-2 draw.
Last Arsenal line-up: Ramsdale, Tierney, White, Gabriel, Holding, Vieira, Lokonga, Elneny, Jesus, Nketiah, Nelson.
Arsenal will assess Japan defender Takehiro Tomiyasu after he limped off on Thursday. Bukayo Saka could start having come off the bench against the Swiss, while Oleksandr Zinchenko is in contention following a calf complaint. Emile Smith Rowe and Matt Turner (both groin) miss out.
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