Premier League 2022-23: Arsenal vs Chelsea: Predicted lineup, injury news, head-to-head, telecast

The Gunners look to keep Premier League race alive as struggling Blues' visit awaits

The Emirates Stadium will witness Arsenal's attempt to make a comeback in the Premier League title race with just five games remaining. After suffering a defeat against Manchester City, Mikel Arteta's team finds themselves in a precarious position, only two points ahead of City, who have two games in hand.

Arsenal had been on a four-game winless streak, drawing three of them, with two of those draws exposing their defensive frailties by squandering two-goal leads. With City breathing down their necks, the Gunners cannot afford to drop any more points. Fortunately for Arsenal, they have a good record against Chelsea, having won four of their last five encounters.

However, Chelsea's fortunes have taken a turn for the worse under new ownership, and they are enduring one of their worst seasons in recent history. Frank Lampard's side is still fighting to secure their place in the top-flight, sitting just one point above the relegation zone.

Chelsea has lost their last three games, including a defeat to Brentford. The Blues have now gone eight matches without a win in all competitions, and their struggles in attack are clear, with just one goal scored in their last seven games. Moreover, Chelsea has already been knocked out of the UEFA competitions, compounding their woes.

Kick-off:

03-05-2023: 12:30 am IST

02-05-2023: 08:30 pm BST

Arsenal form in all competitions: L-D-D-D-W

Chelsea form in all competitions: L-L-L-L-L

Players to watch

Arsenal: Aaron Ramsdale

The Gunners goalkeeper will have to be on his utter best if Arsenal wish to remain in the race for the Premier League title. Ramsdale had a tough night against Manchester City as the Cityzens made his turned his day into a nightmare. Mikel Arteta will hope that his keeper can step up to the occasion in the coming game against the Blues to keep them in reach of Manchester City.

Chelsea: Joao Felix

The Portuguese star will have to leave a major impact on this game if the Blues hope to get a win in the fixture. The have have taken a loss in all their last five fixtures and have managed to find the back of the net just once in these games. Felix will have to step up and lead from the front if Chelsea hope to turn things around for the remaining games in the season.

Match facts

• Arsenal are looking for their third consecutive win over Chelsea which has yet to be accomplished following their consecutive wins back in 2004.
• Arsenal have never lost a single midweek game against Chelsea, with four wins and six draws in the ten-midweek fixture between the two sides.
• In their 16 outings as their home venue this season, Arsenal have remained goalless in only one encounter than came in a 0-0 draw against Newcastle.

Injury and team news

Arsenal will have to make do without their star defender William Saliba, who is currently recovering from a back injury. Consequently, Rob Holding will continue to deputize in his absence. Additionally, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Mohamed Elneny are currently recuperating from knee surgeries and will be unavailable for selection.

Reece James and Mason Mount, two key players for Chelsea, have been ruled out for the remainder of the season due to hamstring and abdominal injuries, respectively. The team will also be without the services of Kai Havertz, Armando Broja, and Kalidou Koulibaly, who are all currently recovering from injuries.

In the absence of these players, Lampard may opt to introduce Benoit Badiashile, Noni Madueke, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and David Datro Fofana during the second half. Furthermore, either Cesar Azpilicueta or Trevoh Chalobah could be deployed as the starting right-back for the game.

Head-to-head record

Matches: 206

Arsenal: 81

Draws: 59

Chelsea: 59

Predicted lineup

Arsenal predicted lineup:

Ramsdale; White, Holding, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Xhaka, Partey; Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli; Jesus

Chelsea predicted lineup:

Kepa; Azpilicueta, W. Fofana, Silva, Chilwell; Kante, Fernandez, Kovacic; Mudryk, Felix, Sterling

Prediction for Arsenal vs Chelsea

This is a crucial fixture for Arsenal in the race for the Premier League title and the Gunners will want nothing short of a win. While it could have been an easy draw for Arsenal considering Chelsea's form, they host's haven't fared any better in their last few outings.

However, the team has a lot more to lose in this fixture in comparision to Frank Lampard's men who are just there to salvage some of their lost pride. This game is likely to end with Arsenal coming out on the top with 3 points.

Prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea

Live telecast details

India – Star Sports Select 1 and Star Sports Select 2, Disney+ Hotstar.

UK – BT Sport, BT Sports App

US – NBC, USA Network.

Nigeria – SportLemon.tv.