BIG MATCH FEATURE: Chelsea v Arsenal

Get ready for a classic London derby as Chelsea take on Arsenal in what promises to be a thrilling clash on Sunday at Stamford Bridge! Tune in live on SuperSport at 6:30pm CAT and witness this high-stakes encounter unfold.

Both teams are eager to solidify their places in the Premier League hierarchy, with pride, history, and crucial points on the line.

Chelsea go into this match looking to reverse a troubling trend against Arsenal. They’ve only managed one win in their last nine Premier League meetings with the Gunners - a hard-fought 2-0 away win in August 2021.

Adding to their challenges, they’ve conceded in each of their last six home league games, marking their longest defensive slump at Stamford Bridge from the start of a season since 2011-12.

Meanwhile, Arsenal arrive with a remarkable record in London derbies, having won six straight by an astonishing 22-3 aggregate score. However, they’re coming off a rare patch of poor away form after losses at Bournemouth and Newcastle, and a third consecutive road loss could signal trouble for Mikel Arteta’s ambitions.

STAR PLAYERS READY TO SHINE

Both sides boast in-form stars. Chelsea’s Cole Palmer, with seven goals and five assists, has been a revelation, contributing directly to more goals than anyone else in the Premier League this season. His playmaking flair could be pivotal in unsettling Arsenal’s backline.

On the other side, Bukayo Saka has been indispensable for Arsenal, topping the league in assists. His knack for finding teammates in the box could prove decisive, especially as he aims to match Sergio Agüero and Javier Hernandez by creating or scoring goals in four consecutive appearances at Stamford Bridge.

KEY MATCH STATS

Chelsea have won just one of their last nine Premier League games against Arsenal (D2 L6), a 2-0 away win in August 2021.

Arsenal have won three of their last four Premier League away games against Chelsea (D1), as many as they had in their previous 20 visits to Stamford Bridge (D7 L10).

Arsenal have won their last six Premier League London derby matches by an aggregate score of 22-3. They’ve won three of these six games by 5+ goals, having won just one of their first 295 such games by such a margin.

Chelsea have conceded at least once in each of their last six Premier League home games, last having a longer such run between December 2015 and August 2016 (13). With five of those games coming in 2024-25, it’s their longest run without a home clean sheet from the start of a league campaign since 2011-12 (6).

Arsenal have lost 2-0 to Bournemouth and 1-0 to Newcastle in their last two Premier League away games. They last lost three in a row on the road in December 2021, while they last did so without scoring in August 1994.

Arsenal have lost just one of their last 26 Premier League games on the weekend immediately following a European fixture (W19 D6), going down 2-0 at home to Aston Villa in April. When facing Chelsea in such a match, they’ve lost five of their last seven, though the two exceptions have been in the last two meetings (0-0 in September 2017, 1-0 in November 2022).

Of all managers to face Chelsea at least 10 times in the Premier League, only Kenny Dalglish (77 per cent) has a higher win rate against the Blues than Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta (60 per cent - W6 D2 L2).