Preview of the Chelsea vs Arsenal October 21, 2023

by Arro

7 months ago 0 144

Preview of the Chelsea vs Arsenal October 21, 2023

About the match

Chelsea vs Arsenal

Chelsea will host Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, October 21, 2023 at 16:30 UTC in Round 9 of the Premier League.

Predicted lineups for the match will be available a few days in advance, with the actual lineup being released about an hour before kick-off.

The two teams have a close head-to-head record, with Chelsea winning 15 matches, Arsenal winning 16, and seven draws.

The bookmakers are predicting a tight match, with Chelsea the favorites at 3.2 odds to win, 3.4 for a draw, and 2.2 for Arsenal to win.

Catch all the action live on Sky Go Germany / WOW / Sky Sport Premier Leagu

News

Chelsea vs Arsenal: James’ return and Saka’s absence

The London derby between Chelsea and Arsenal is always a special occasion. With its many clashes and dramatic twists and turns, it creates a memorable sweetness in the memories of fans of the two English teams and even football fans around the world.

No one can say that Arsenal under Arteta is not a strong team, and no one can confirm that Chelsea, with its injuries, new players, and new manager, will not be the same Chelsea as always. But fate has helped to make the sensitive match even more sensitive and to increase the excitement of the match significantly.

Saka’s injury

Nothing is certain yet, but there are reports from inside Arsenal that say that the club’s doctors believe that Saka is more likely to miss the derby than to play. Fans will be very disappointed because Saka’s special dances on the field will not be in front of their eyes. And we must admit that the absence of this player can definitely increase the excitement of this match.

Like Arsenal’s doctors and Arteta, we would be happy if Saka could play in the game and his growing momentum would not be stopped by missing games. But the news coming out of Arsenal’s camp suggests that the player’s absence is likely to be confirmed.

James’ timely return

For two seasons, consecutive injuries have prevented Chelsea’s captain from doing his usual job! James played only 16 Premier League games last season due to injury and only appeared in 24 games in total. Chelsea’s 23-year-old captain has a big impact on the London Blues lineup, but he has been absent from all games since the first week of the new season due to a hamstring injury.

Reece James has been training again for a while and has been present in Chelsea’s group training. James is in very good shape and Pochettino is likely to decide to include him. James himself has subtly announced that he is in the best form of his career and will be stronger than the start of the season.

The potential return of James, coupled with the potential absence of Saka, could strengthen Chelsea’s defense and weaken Arsenal’s attack.

Can Chelsea beat Arsenal?

In football, nothing is predictable. We have seen many times how the most powerful teams have lost to the weakest teams, making football more dramatic than we know it. But at the moment, on paper, the chances of Chelsea winning will still be very low. Arsenal managed to get past Pep’s team without Saka, and a match with Chelsea in their previous state might be something like a joke. Of course, Premier League teams know better than anyone that no team should be underestimated, and underestimating an opponent can hit teams hard. However, it seems unlikely that Arsenal will record their first loss in front of their weaker neighbor.

Injured and Suspended Players

Several key players from both teams are injured or suspended, which could affect the match lineup.

Chelsea

Malang Sarr (suspended)
Wesley Fofana (cruciate ligament injury, late March 2024)
Trevoh Chalobah (hamstring injury, unknown)
Romeo Lavia (ankle injury, early December 2023)
Reece James (hamstring injury, doubtful)
Marcus Bettinelli (injured, a few days)
Ben Chilwell (hamstring injury, early December 2023)
Armando Broja (knee injury, early November 2023)

Arsenal

Christopher Nkunku (knee injury, early November 2023)
Leandro Trossard (hamstring injury, doubtful)

Head-to-Head

Chelsea has won 15 matches, Arsenal has won 16 matches, and there have been 7 draws.
Arsenal has won the last 3 matches in a row.
The most recent match between the two teams was on May 2, 2023, and Arsenal won 3-1.
The next match between the two teams is on March 16, 2024, and it will be played at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium.

Based on the results of these 5 games

Chelsea

Chelsea has won 2 games, lost 2 games, and drawn 1 game in their last 5 Premier League matches. They have scored 7 goals and conceded 5 goals, which gives them a goal difference of +2.

Arsenal

Arsenal has won 2 games, lost 2 games, and drawn 1 game in their last 5 games. They have scored 8 goals and conceded 7 goals, which gives them a goal difference of +1.

Overall, Arsenal has had a mixed start to the season, with 2 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw in their 5 games. They have shown some promising signs, but they need to be more consistent if they want to challenge for the title.

It is important to note that Arsenal’s first game of the season was against Manchester City, which was their last game of the season. This is because the Premier League schedule is released in reverse order, so the last game of the previous season is the first game of the next season.

For bet

The best betting option for this game is that both teams score, because this is an important game. On the one hand, it could be a high-scoring game, on the other hand, it could be low-scoring. But it’s either 0-0 or high-scoring, i.e. over 1.5 or 2.5. This game will not be 1-0. On the other hand, Arsenal’s draw can also be good, but since the game is in Chelsea’s stadium, it is a bit risky.