Arsenal Aims To Regain Form Against Chelsea In Premier League Clash This Weekend

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Arsenal's aspirations for the Premier League title have dimmed following recent setbacks. However, they aim to recover against Chelsea on Sunday. With Liverpool not playing in the league due to the EFL Cup final, Arsenal has a chance to narrow the gap if they can overcome their recent struggles. The Premier League leaders are 15 points ahead, but Arsenal gained some confidence by defeating PSV in the Champions League last 16 with a 9-3 aggregate win.

Arsenal's recent form has been shaky, earning just two points from their last three league matches. Chelsea is closing in as they pursue a top-four finish. A 1-0 victory over Leicester City propelled Chelsea into a Champions League spot last week. However, they must address their away game challenges to maintain this position. Using Opta data, we explore key insights ahead of Sunday's match at Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal's title hopes seem slim after a 1-1 draw with Manchester United and Liverpool's win over Southampton. The Opta supercomputer gives Arsenal only a 0.6% chance of overtaking Liverpool for the title, even with a game in hand against Chelsea. This match is crucial as Arsenal faces pressure from teams chasing Champions League qualification due to their three-game winless streak.

Their poor run began with a 1-0 loss to West Ham at home, marking their first league defeat at Emirates this season. Despite solid home form with eight wins (D4), scoring 27 goals and keeping five clean sheets, Arteta aims to restore their dominance on familiar ground. Arsenal hasn't lost consecutive London derbies at Emirates since the 2005-06 season when they were defeated by Chelsea and West Ham.

Chelsea's hopes for Champions League qualification remain within reach after recent improvements, but challenges persist for Maresca. They've won only four of their last 12 Premier League matches (D3 L5), all at Stamford Bridge, with their last away league win on December 8 (4-3 v Tottenham). They've lost three consecutive away games, matching their previous 19-game record (W9 D7).

Chelsea hasn't won any of their last six away matches (D2 L4), marking their longest drought since October 2022-February 2023 (eight games). Their dip coincides with Cole Palmer's goal drought; he hasn't scored in his last seven Premier League matches or any of his last ten across all competitions.

Key Players to Watch

Declan Rice has stepped up for Arsenal amid striker shortages, scoring against Man Utd in the Premier League and PSV in the Champions League. Against United, he had the most touches in the opposition box (six) and most final-third entries (15) among Arsenal players. He also excelled defensively, winning possession seven times.

Marc Cucurella has found his scoring touch for Chelsea despite Palmer's struggles. Cucurella scored in his last two Premier League appearances, matching his total from his first 69 games for Chelsea. All four of his goals this season mark his best career return.

Expectations for Sunday's Clash

Arsenal remains unbeaten in six Premier League games against Chelsea (W4 D2), marking their longest undefeated streak since a run between 1995 and 2005. Overall, they've won six of their last nine league matches against Chelsea (D2 L1). Their previous six wins spanned a 32-game period between 2004 and 2020 (D10 L16).

Chelsea may recall last season's visit to Emirates when they lost 5-0 after conceding four second-half goals to Arteta's side. They've lost two consecutive away league games against Arsenal; another loss would mark three straight defeats since 2001-2003.

The Opta supercomputer favours Arsenal with a 52.2% win probability based on recent dominance in this fixture. Chelsea is more likely to draw (24.3%) than win (23.6%), according to pre-match simulations.

Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, and Kai Havertz are sidelined due to injuries affecting Arsenal's attack; they've scored just four goals in four league games since Havertz's injury ended his season early.

Chelsea needs Palmer to regain form as he's gone goalless in ten matches across all competitions despite having opportunities like missing a penalty against Leicester City recently.