Arsenal welcome Chelsea to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday in an early test between the defending champions and Xabi Alonso’s rebuilt side.
Mikel Arteta’s team will look to control midfield through Declan Rice and Martin Ødegaard, while Kai Havertz provides the physical presence to attack Chelsea’s back line.
Chelsea can threaten through the movement of Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and João Pedro, particularly when Arsenal commit numbers forward.
Alonso’s aggressive approach could create an open contest, but Chelsea must withstand Arsenal’s pressing and territorial pressure.
The midfield battle should determine whether Arsenal establish control or Chelsea find the spaces needed to attack quickly.
Arsenal is coming off a 1-0 road win against Aston Villa on Monday while Chelsea beat Brighton & Hove Albion 4-3 at home on Sunday.
Arsenal is in second place in the Premier League standings with six points in two games while Chelsea is in fourth place with six points in two games.
The player to watch in this game is Christos Tzolis, who has zero goals and zero assists in two Premier League games this season. AccuScore gives Tzolis a 51 percent chance to score against Chelsea.
Dafabet Odds
Team to Win (Regular Time)
- Arsenal 1.66
- Chelsea 5.20
- Draw 3.90
Spread x
- Arsenal -0.5, -1 (1.87)
- Chelsea +0,5 +1 (1.90)
Total
- Over 2.5, 3 (2.00)
- Under 2.5, 3 (1.75)
Key Points to Consider
Head-to-Head: These two teams last met in Premier League action on March 1 and Arsenal won 2-1.
Projected Leaders
For Arsenal, Christos Tzolis has a 51 percent chance to net the ball. He averages 2.7 shots overall per sim, 2.37 shots on goal per and 0.7 goals per sim.
For Chelsea, João Pedro has a 26.7 percent chance to score. He averages 1.01 shots overall per sim, 0.53 shots on goal per and 0.32 goals per sim.
Analyst’s Pick
Arsenal 1.66
Three-star (out of four) AccuScore hot trend pick on Arsenal in this one. Average score in simulations is Arsenal 1.89 to Chelsea 1.3.
