A scintillating midweek London derby awaits football fans as Arsenal hosts Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night.
Fresh off a crucial win against Wolves that propelled them back to the top of the Premier League table, Arsenal aims to extend their lead with another victory. With Manchester City trailing closely, the Gunners are keen to maintain their title charge, especially with only five games remaining.
Meanwhile, Chelsea’s season have not been rocked with ups and downs, culminating in a defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-finals. Despite flashes of brilliance, inconsistency has plagued the Blues, who now aim to disrupt Arsenal’s title aspirations.
Mikel Arteta’s side is nearly at full strength, with only Jurrine Timber and Takehiro Tomiyasu sidelined due to injuries. Conversely, Chelsea will be without key player Cole Palmer, who is sidelined due to illness.
Palmer’s absence leaves a significant void in Chelsea’s attack, although Raheem Sterling, Nicolas Jackson, and Noni Madueke are poised to lead the offensive charge.
Despite Chelsea’s attacking prowess, Arsenal boasts one of the best defence lineups in Europe this season.
With their fighting spirit on display against Wolves, the Gunners are positioned as strong contenders to secure another vital victory.
Arsenal vs Chelsea Predictions
According to Opta Arsenal are given a 51% chance of earning three points on Tuesday night to pile the pressure on Liverpool and City.
Across 10,000 match simulations conducted ahead of kick-off, Chelsea was victorious in just 22.5% of scenarios, with 26.5% seeing the points shared.
While Arsenal remains second favourites for the title, Chelsea is viewed as outsiders in the race for Europe.
Arsenal vs Chelsea Betting Tips
Arsenal have lost just one of their last eight Premier League games against Chelsea (five wins, two draws) and are unbeaten in their last four against the Blues.
The Gunners did drop two points in October’s reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge, but it could have been worse as goals from Palmer and Mykhailo Mudryk put them 2-0 down. Declan Rice and Trossard were on target late on as Arsenal fought back in a 2-2 draw.
In last season’s encounter, Arsenal secured a 3-1 victory over Chelsea, with Ødegaard netting twice and contributions from Jesus and Noni Madueke.
Chelsea have not suffered consecutive away Premier League defeats against Arsenal since a string of three losses between December 2001 and October 2003.
8pm kick-off time is not a good omen for Chelsea, who won their first evening kick-off (7pm or later) against Arsenal in the Premier League in March 1993 but have since failed to win in 11 such games, drawing seven and losing four.
Former Tottenham boss Pochettino is looking to end his hoodoo at the Emirates. He has not won any of his seven away Premier League matches against Arsenal, drawing four and losing three.
