Arsenal and Chelsea will renew their London rivalry on Sunday when they meet in a highly anticipated Premier League clash at the Emirates Stadium, with both sides looking to preserve their unbeaten starts to the season.
The encounter promises to be an early test of the two teams’ ambitions, with Arsenal, the reigning champions, hoping their strong start will continue while Chelsea arrive in confident mood after an impressive opening to the campaign.
Arsenal have won their opening league matches and are yet to concede, but their latest victory over Aston Villa came at a cost, with Declan Rice and Cristhian Mosquera forced off during the game.
Mosquera missed training during the week and remains a concern, while Rice is expected to recover in time for the derby. Jurrien Timber has also returned to full training and could feature.
William Saliba, however, remains sidelined with a back problem and is expected to spend more time out of action.
Arsenal’s start has been encouraging despite concerns over their activity on transfer deadline day. The club allowed several attacking players to leave without bringing in another forward before the window closed.
Mikel Arteta will therefore be hoping his available attackers can deliver against a Chelsea side that has shown considerable threat in front of goal.
Chelsea have also won their opening matches and will head to the Emirates with confidence after defeating Brighton in a thrilling encounter.
Manager Xabi Alonso’s side have impressed with their attacking football, although their defensive display against Brighton showed that Arsenal could find opportunities if they apply sufficient pressure.
Chelsea’s preparations have been affected by injuries, with Moises Caicedo a doubt after aggravating an existing problem against Brighton.
Jordan Henderson and Marco Palestra are also unavailable, while the club’s midfield options have been further affected by the late collapse of Lamine Camara’s proposed move.
Cole Palmer will again be one of Chelsea’s main threats, with the England international looking to continue his impressive form for the Blues.
The visitors will also take confidence from their recent record against Arsenal, although the Gunners have won the last three meetings between the sides.
Arsenal have not lost to Chelsea in their last three encounters and will be hoping home advantage gives them another edge in Sunday’s contest.
The Emirates has also proved a difficult venue for visiting London clubs, with Arsenal enjoying a long unbeaten run in league derbies.
However, Chelsea have enough attacking quality to pose a serious threat and will not be intimidated by Arsenal’s strong start.
With both teams yet to taste defeat this season, Sunday’s clash is expected to provide one of the biggest tests yet for the two sides as they continue their push for Premier League success.
