Chelsea vs Arsenal preview, team news, tickets and prediction

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Chelsea and Arsenal will lock horns in the Premier League on match day 11 at Stamford Bridge. The Blues are on a recovery path and they have made some great progress under new manager Enzo Maresca to an extent. On the other hand, Arsenal has stayed competitive, even in the face of injuries and some dogged performances, to remain one of the sides vying for the Premier League title for the third consecutive year.

As of the time of writing this article, Chelsea are fourth on the Premier League log, while Arsenal sit in third position – one point behind leaders Liverpool and three ahead of the Blues.

Chelsea, who spent massively in the previous season, were at it again this summer. Among the notable arrivals last summer were the £100 million acquisition of Moisés Caicedo, who chose Chelsea over Liverpool, Robert Sánchez from Brighton, Axel Disasi and Lesley Ugochukwu from the French Ligue 1, Cole Palmer from rivals Manchester City, Nicolas Jackson from Laliga side Villarreal, Romeo Lavia from relegated Southampton, and Christopher Nkunku from RB Leipzig. 

This summer, they have made some tidy deals which include the arrival of Tosin Adarabioyo on a free transfer, Estevao Willian from Palmeiras, Omari Kellyman from Aston Villa, Marc Guiu from Barcelona, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from newly promoted Leicester City. Jadon Sancho and Joao Felix were part of the other additions to the squad.

In terms of the exits, left-back Ian Maatsen, after his exploits with Borussia Dortmund last season, left for Aston Villa, while Lewis Hall made his move to Newcastle United permanent, Callum Gallagher to Atletico Madrid, and Omari Hutchinson moved to Ipswich. The likes of Thiago Silva, Hakim Ziyech, and Malang Saar left the club on a free transfer. Meanwhile, Raheem Sterling joined Arsenal on loan on deadline day

Sancho looks happy at Stamford Bridge, and as of the time of writing, he racked up three consecutive assists in his opening three games. Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson are also contributing to the numbers up front. However, Chelsea have struggled to get results against some decent teams and that might be their undoing in the course of the campaign. The Blues breezed past Brighton, Wolves, and West Ham in some of their outstanding results at the time of writing. However, they dropped points against Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace at home and there is a need to improve their results against the Gunners.

Meanwhile, Arsenal had a title challenge last season before falling at the final hurdle to Manchester City but they have continued in that manner this season. During the transfer window, Arsenal completed the signing of David Raya, Ricardo Calafiori joined from Bologna, and Mikel Merino, who won the Euro Championships with Spain, also came in from Real Sociedad. Meanwhile, Jurrien Timber’s return to fitness has been a huge boost for Mikel Arteta and the Dutchman has been playing a key role in his side’s season. 

In terms of departures, Egypt international midfielder Mohammed Elneny left the club – a true servant of the London club. Aaron Ramsdale, Reiss Nelson, Eddie Nketiah, and Emile Smith Rowe all left the club in the summer. Apart from the exits, the injury to Martin Odegaard rattled the Gunners at first but they seem to have adjusted well enough with the likes of Kai Havertz, Leandro Trossard, and Bukayo Saka shouldering the responsibilities in attack. Impressive results for the North London side include the 2-2 draw with Manchester City at the Etihad and the 1-0 win over Tottenham away from home.

Chelsea and Arsenal are familiar oppositions and fireworks are usually expected when they meet. However, the Gunners have managed to enjoy a lot of success against the Blues and they will be relying on their form to maintain their strong start to the season. Arsenal have not lost to Chelsea in all competitions since 2021 and Maresca will be keen to put an end to that miserable record.

Chelsea v Arsenal head-to-head record shows that in the 76 meetings they’ve had since 1995, Chelsea have won 26 times and Arsenal have won 28 times. 22 fixtures have ended in a draw. 

Match tickets

This match at Stamford Bridge in London kicks off on Sunday 10th November 2024, at 5:30 PM UK time. 

The 40,343-capacity stadium is the place for this clash between two London rivals.

Getting Chelsea v Arsenal tickets could take a lot of work given the standard of this game. Hence, you are advised to search ticket reselling sites should they be expectedly sold out on each club’s channels. 

Team news

Line-ups

Chelsea struggled with several injuries last season and they are still struggling with some at the moment. Reece James is one of their long absentees. Meanwhile, Cucurella has been playing his best football for the club, while Cole Palmer remains the player everything goes through in the team. The Blues will fancy their chances in this game.

Chelsea XI: Robert Sanchez; Wesley Fofana, Levi Colwill, Tosin Adarabioyo; Marc Cucurella, Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, Jadon Sancho. 

Mikel Arteta and his team came from two goals to draw the Blues at home last season and he will be hoping to do even better this time around. Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Partey, and Dutch defender Jurrien Timber could make an impact in this game. This match might come too soon for skipper Martin Odegaard, while Bukayo Saka should again retain his spot on the wing. 

Arsenal XI: David Raya; Jurien Timber, Gabriel, William Saliba, Riccardo Calafiori; Kai Havertz,  Declan Rice, Thomas Partey; Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, Bukayo Saka.

Prediction

Chelsea, bar the opening game defeat to Manchester City, have shown promise that they are ready for this season, and here is a chance to test their readiness. Maresca and his team know what is at stake and nothing but a strong performance including a good result will be acceptable.

The Gunners have the edge and will be confident on this trip to the Stamford Bridge. Arteta’s men have done well on the road this term and they will be counting on their solid defensive record for a result away from the Emirates once more. 

Chelsea 1-2 Arsenal

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