Arsenal will be looking to put themselves joint on points with fierce rivals and fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, if they can overcome third-placed Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
In their last five Premier League fixtures, Chelsea have four wins and one loss, scoring 15 (six of which came in their last game, 0-6 away to Southampton) and conceding five (four of which came in one game, 1-4 home loss against Brentford). If Chelsea are victorious at Stamford Bridge, they will be eight points clear of Spurs in fourth, with a game in hand.
As for The Gunners, they only have one win (0-1 vs Aston Villa) and four losses, including three on the bounce (3-0 vs Crystal Palace, 1-2 vs Brighton and 1-0 vs Southampton). In these five games, Mikel Arteta’s side have scored just two goals, and have conceded eight. If Arsenal can pull off an unlikely victory at Stamford Bridge, they will be level on points with Spurs, and only behind them on goal difference. They are also in danger of losing four consecutive league games for the first time since March 1995.
Embed from Getty ImagesTEAM NEWS:
Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic will be out for two weeks after injuring his ankle against Crystal Palace.
Callum Hudson-Odoi remains out of action with an achilles issue, with Ben Chilwell out for the rest of the season.
Arsenal will continue to monitor captain Alexandre Lacazette, who missed the defeat at Southampton due to testing positive for Covid.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Gunners will also assess Takehiro Tomiyasu, who has a calf issue.
Kieran Tierney and Thomas Partey are sidelined by knee and thigh problems respectively.
MATCH FACTS – Head-to-head:
- Chelsea ended a three-match losing streak against Arsenal in all competitions by winning 0-2 away in August.
- Arsenal’s 0-1 away victory in May last season was their first in nine Premier League visits to Stamford Bridge (two draws and six losses).
MATCH FACTS – Chelsea:
- The Blues could lose three consecutive matches at Stamford Bridge for the first time since November 1993, the third game in that sequence? A 0-2 loss against Arsenal.
- Chelsea have won six of their past seven league matches, keeping five clean sheets.
- Mason Mount is one appearance off 100 in the Premier League. Thanks to his 23 goals and 18 assists in his first 99, he has been involved in more goals than any other English player in their frist 100 Premier League games for Chelsea.
- Thiago Silva is set to become the oldest outfield player to represent Chelsea in the Premier League (aged 37 years and 210 days).
MATCH FACTS – Arsenal:
- Arsenal have lost four of their past five Premier League matches, having previously lost just one of 11.
- The Gunners have been beaten in eight of their past 10 top-flight games in the month of April.
- A win would ensure Arsenal become the third club to record 250 Premier League away wins, alongside Manchester United and Chelsea.
- Mikel Arteta’s side have lost eight of nine league fixtures when conceding first this season.
- Bukayo Saka is the only English player to have registered at least 50 shots and created a minimum of 50 chances in the top-flight so far this season.
PREDICTED LINE-UPS:
Chelsea – Mendy, James, Christensen, Silva, Rudiger, Alonso, Kante, Jorginho, Mount, Werner, Havertz
Arsenal – Ramsdale, Cedric, White, Holding, Gabriel, Saka, Xhaka, Sambi Lokonga, Smith Rowe, Odegaard, Martinelli
