Arsenal, aiming to end a two-match winless streak at the Emirates Stadium, will host Chelsea in a highly anticipated London derby on Tuesday.
The Premier League leaders reached the top spot after defeating Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 on Saturday, while Chelsea faced disappointment, being eliminated by Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final.
Match preview
Arsenal’s hopes for a double victory were dashed within a few days. After experiencing their first Premier League defeat of 2024 at home against Aston Villa, the Gunners failed in their attempt to avenge their Champions League loss to Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals.
Bouncing back against an injury-plagued Wolverhampton Wanderers team became crucial. While Saturday’s match at Molineux wasn’t the most thrilling for Arsenal fans, goals from Leandro Trossard and Martin Odegaard in each half secured the win.
Arsenal achieved a new club record by maintaining six consecutive away clean sheets in the Premier League. This victory on April 20 propelled them to the top of the table above Manchester City, which was occupied with their FA Cup duties against Chelsea.
With a 24th Premier League win of the season this week, Mikel Arteta’s team can extend their lead over Manchester City by four points. Arsenal hasn’t lost two home league games in a row since April 2022, and they haven’t faced consecutive scoreless defeats at home since November 2020, during the period of matches without spectators. The Gunners won’t be taking any offensive cues from Mauricio Pochettino’s squad this week.
Chelsea’s extended rest period was apparent in their match against a Man City team recovering from their Champions League disappointment against Real Madrid. The Blues created numerous chances at Wembley in their attempt to face either Coventry City or Manchester United in the final.
Despite their numerous opportunities, Pochettino’s side couldn’t convert any of them into goals, with Nicolas Jackson struggling to impress. A single deflected goal from Bernardo Silva was enough to prolong Pochettino’s wait for a trophy in English football.
Chelsea’s overall performance against the tired treble winners was commendable, but they were responsible for their failure to capitalize on numerous opportunities. Man City’s Jack Grealish might have been lucky to avoid a second-half handball penalty.
Chelsea’s inefficiency stood in sharp contrast to their 6-0 victory over Everton in their last Premier League game, with Cole Palmer leading the charge. That win marked their sixth consecutive league game with at least two goals scored, and they’ve now found the net in their last 15 Premier League games since losing 2-0 to Everton in December.
Chelsea’s eight-match unbeaten streak has propelled them to ninth place in the standings, keeping them in the race for European qualification as the season winds down.
Arsenal had some luck during their October clash at Stamford Bridge with Chelsea, where they managed to secure a 2-2 draw, extending their unbeaten streak against the Blues to four matches. This includes a 3-1 victory at home last season.
Team News
Arsenal will be without Jurrien Timber, who is recovering from an ACL injury and is expected to play in an Under-21s match on Monday night. Additionally, Takehiro Tomiyasu was injured just before the win against Wolves last weekend.
Tomiyasu’s injury occurred during the Champions League loss to Bayern earlier in the week, but Arsenal described his absence as a precautionary measure. This suggests he could be cleared to rejoin the squad for the game at the Emirates.
Even if Tomiyasu is not ready for the derby, a change in defense is likely, as Jakub Kiwior had a tough game at left-back on Saturday and might be replaced by a rested Oleksandr Zinchenko.
As for Chelsea’s injury concerns, Pochettino will be missing several players at the Emirates, including long-term absentees Romeo Lavia (thigh), Wesley Fofana (knee), Lesley Ugochukwu (thigh), Reece James (thigh), and Christopher Nkunku (thigh). Nkunku is the only one who might return before the end of the season.
Levi Colwill (toe injury) and Robert Sanchez (illness) are close to returning, but both remain unavailable for now. Pochettino is also dealing with three more injury concerns before the Emirates trip.
Top scorer Cole Palmer is unlikely to play due to illness, a significant setback for the visitors. Raheem Sterling may take advantage of his absence. Malo Gusto and Ben Chilwell are also dealing with knee injuries and will require late fitness assessments.
Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Jorginho, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Petrovic; Disasi, Chalobah, Badiashile, Cucurella; Fernandez, Caicedo; Sterling, Gallagher, Mudryk; Jackson
Sportonpoint predicts a 2-1 victory for Arsenal against Chelsea
Chelsea have been scoring well in the Premier League lately, but their poor performance at Wembley could pose problems when facing the league’s best defense. Palmer’s potential absence might make some Chelsea fans already feel resigned to defeat.
With limited recovery time for both teams, Tuesday’s London derby may not be a high-scoring affair—especially given Arsenal’s recent struggles in the attacking third. However, the Gunners, who have scored first in 25 Premier League games this season, could gain an early advantage and hold off their opponents to maintain their lead in the league.