EPL Preview: Arsenal vs Chelsea

April 23, 2024

Eager to break a two-game winless streak at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal, the current Premier League leaders, welcome Chelsea in a crucial London derby on Tuesday night.

The Gunners claimed the top spot with a 2-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, shortly after Chelsea's self-inflicted defeat in the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City.

In their previous encounter in October at Stamford Bridge, Arsenal managed to rescue a 2-2 draw against Chelsea, thus extending their unbeaten streak against the Blues to four games, including a 3-1 victory at the Emirates last season.

Arsenal Betting Preview (-227 at Everygame)

Arsenal's hopes of claiming double honors were dashed within days. Following their first Premier League defeat of 2024 against Aston Villa and a failed revenge attempt against Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals, the Gunners were keen to bounce back against an injury-plagued Wolverhampton Wanderers side.

In their encounter at Molineux on Saturday evening, Arsenal secured an important 2-0 victory with goals from Leandro Trossard and Martin Odegaard, ensuring their top-flight record of six consecutive clean sheets on the road remained intact. This win also propelled them back to the top of the league table ahead of their upcoming match against Tuesday's visitors to the Emirates, who were busy fulfilling their FA Cup commitments.

Mikel Arteta's side will aim to extend their lead over the reigning champions Manchester City by four points with their 24^th Premier League victory of the season. The Gunners haven't lost consecutive home games in the league since April 2022, and they have yet to suffer back-to-back defeats at the Emirates without scoring since the behind-closed-doors era in November 2020.

They'll also aim to maintain their defensive resilience and will not seek attacking inspiration from Mauricio Pochettino's side this week.

Jurrien Timber, still recovering from an ACL injury, will step up his return in an Under-21s fixture on Monday evening. Arsenal also faced a setback, with Takehiro Tomiyasu sustaining a knock before the win over the Wolves. Although the Japanese defender missed the match against Wolves, Arsenal labeled his absence precautionary, leaving the possibility open for his inclusion in the squad at the Emirates.

Even if Tomiyasu is unavailable for the looming London derby, defensive adjustments may still be made. Jakub Kiwior struggled at left-back against Wolves, potentially opening the door for Oleksandr Zinchenko to step in.

Chelsea Betting Preview (+575 at Everygame)

Mauricio Pochettino's side's lengthy recovery period was evident as they faced a Manchester City side reeling from their Champions League heartbreak. The Blues were creating chances aplenty in their quest to advance to the final against Coventry City or Manchester United at Wembley next month.

Despite their dominance, Chelsea failed to capitalize on numerous opportunities, with Nicolas Jackson failing to convert. A deflected strike from Bernardo Silva was all it took for the London side to fall short, extending their manager's agonizing wait for a trophy in English football.

While their overall performance was commendable against the fatigued defending champions, their inability to convert chances was glaring. However, there was controversy when Jack Grealish of Man City avoided conceding a second-half penalty for a blatant handball.

This wastefulness contrasted sharply with the Blues' dominant 6-0 win over Everton in their last top-flight game. They've scored at least two goals in their previous six Premier League matches and have found the net in their last 15 league fixtures since their 2-0 defeat at Goodison Park in December.

Currently ninth in the standings due to their eight-game unbeaten run (4-4-0 record), The Blues remain contenders for European qualification as the season progresses.

As for their injury woes, manager Mauricio Pochettino heads to the Emirates with several long-term absentees, including Romeo Lavia, Wesley Fofana, Lesley Ugochukwu, Reece James, and Christopher Nkunku. Nkunku may return before the season ends.

Elsewhere, goalkeeper Robert Sanchez and versatile defender Levi Colwill are progressing in their recovery from injury but remain sidelined for now.

Furthermore, Pochettino faces three new concerns ahead of the trip to North London. Top scorer Cole Palmer, who boasts a remarkable tally of 29 goal contributions in just 27 top-flight appearances (20 goals and nine assists), is unlikely to feature due to illness, posing a significant setback for Chelsea. Full-backs Malo Gusto and Ben Chilwell are also dealing with knee issues and will undergo late fitness tests.

Possible Starting Lineups of Arsenal and Chelsea

Arsenal: David Raya - Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Jakub Kiwior - Martin Odegaard, Jorginho, Declan Rice - Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli. (4-3-3)

Chelsea: Djordje Petrovic - Marc Cucurella, Benoît Badiashile, Trevoh Chalobah, Axel Disasi - Moisés Caicedo, Enzo Fernández - Mykhailo Mudryk, Conor Gallagher, Raheem Sterling - Nicolas Jackson. (4-2-3-1)

Spooky Express Betting Prediction

While Chelsea have been effective in finding the net in the Premier League recently, their wasteful performance at Wembley raises concerns ahead of facing the league's best defense. With Palmer likely absent, even some Blues fans may anticipate defeat.

Given the short turnaround time for both teams, Tuesday's London derby may not be a high-scoring affair, particularly as Arsenal have struggled in the final third lately. However, having scored first in 25 Premier League matches this season, the Gunners may secure an early lead and focus on maintaining their defensive solidity to stay atop the league standings.

Spooky Express Free Play: Half Time / Full Time - 1-1 (Arsenal / Arsenal) +105 at Everygame for 6/10 Units

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