Chelsea vs Arsenal: Predicted lineup, injury news, head-to-head, telecast

The Blues' momentum is to be tested in a massive London derby

Chelsea have a very great defensive record in the Premier League. They have only conceded a goal more than Arsenal and Manchester City. Although these two teams occupy the second and third spots respectively in the league, The Blues find themselves in 11th position. Netting goals have been the problem. Mauricio Pochettino's men will be looking to build upon the six goals they scored in the last two games, which also provided them with two wins and six points on the table.

The Gunners had an amazing showdown at the Emirates Stadium before going into the October International break. Mikel Arteta's Arsenal were up against last season's treble winners, Pep Guardiola’s Man City. Arteta's halftime substitute, Gabriel Martinelli provided the only goal of the game to give Arsenal a victory against City. This win means a lot as Arsenal's last win against City in the PL stretches back to 2015 December. The Gunners only sit second in the table due to Tottenham Hotspur's GF (goal for) being higher.

Kick-Off:

Saturday, 21 October 2023 at 5:30 PM BST (10:00 PM IST)

Location: Stamford Bridge

Form

Chelsea (in all competitions): W-W-W-L-D

Arsenal (in all competitions): W-L-W-W-D

Players to Watch

Thiago Silva (Chelsea)

Manager Mauricio Pochettino's start to life at Stamford Bridge hasn't been good given the poor goal-scoring output of Chelsea. One 39-year-old man though has done every bit defensively to help out his manager. Centre-back Thiago Silva has been an omnipresent part of the backline of The Blues. Silva has played every minute of the 8 PL games Chelsea have covered this season. The club boasts the second-best defensive record in the league with veteran Silva leading from the back.

Martin Ødegaard (Arsenal)

The Blues fans won't have a fond memory of facing the playmaker and first-team captain of Arsenal FC. In their last meeting, the midfielder netted a brace which helped Arsenal triumph 3-1. The number 8 last played the full 90 minutes in the 1-0 win against Man City before heading to join Norway camp where they faced Cyprus and Spain in the October break. Not a bad game to add to his 3 goals and an assist in 2023-24 PL.

Match Facts

• The last two home matches for Chelsea against Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest ended in defeats. The Blues failed to net a goal even once on both occasions
• A win for Arsenal will put them in first place overtaking Tottenham who are due to play Fulham later on Monday
• The Gunners are on an unbeaten 15-game PL streak against rival London clubs

Injury & Team News for Chelsea vs Arsenal

Chelsea may have put two back-to-back win results in the PL table but continue to be without a hefty lot of players. Mauricio Pochettino's side will have to do without Wesley Fofana, Christopher Nkunku, Ben Chilwell and several others. Another major blow surfaced when Silva's defensive partner Axel Disasi pulled out of France's national football team for the break. The player was found to have a tear in his left thigh.

In the Gunners camp, Jurrien Timber remains the only long-term absentee. Gabriel Martinelli should return to the starting lineup after coming on for Leandro Trossard in the Man City fixture. Trossard though has picked up a hamstring problem and should be out in this one. Bukayo Saka didn't join the England squad during the break and should have recovered further to make the team.

Head to Head

Total Matches – 62

Chelsea wins – 20

Arsenal wins – 25

Draws – 17

Predicted Lineup

Chelsea predicted lineup (4-3-3):

Sanchez (GK); Gusto, Maatsen, Silva, Colwill; Gallagher, Caicedo, Fernandez; Palmer, Jackson, Sterling

Arsenal predicted lineup (4-3-3):

Raya (GK); White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Rice, Havertz; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli

Match Prediction for Chelsea vs Arsenal

Chelsea will have a true test of squad depth amid their injury crisis. It will be down to what Mauricio Pochettino can cook against the Gunners with the short circle of 'key' players available. Arsenal are heading into the game against a side with a good defensive record this season. But Silva and Disasi's partnership appears to be off for this one because of Disasi's injury breakthrough. And this should put Mikel Arteta's side in pole position for an away win at Stamford Bridge.

Prediction: Chelsea 1-3 Arsenal

Telecast

India – Star Sports, Disney+ Hotstar

UK – Sky Sports, TNT Sports, Amazon Prime Video

US –  NBC, USA Network, Peacock

Nigeria – SuperSport, NTA, Canal+ Afrique