A huge Premier League clash as it is, Mikel Arteta’s side will have the added burden of potentially having to reclaim top spot, should Manchester City beat Fulham on Saturday.
Chelsea, of course, were roundly beaten by Brighton in their last domestic outing and will need to show a vast improvement to contend with an Arsenal side who have already taken big scalps this season.
Date / Time: Sunday, November 6, 2022, 12.00 GMT; 7am EST; 4:30pm IST
Venue: Stamford Bridge, SW6
Referee: Michael Oliver (on pitch); Jarred Gillett (VAR)
On TV: BT Sport 1 (UK); USA Network, Telemundo (USA); Star Sports HD1 (India); Canal+ Sport 3 (NGA)
Streaming: BT Sport Live (UK); NBC Sports Live, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo (USA); Hotstar (India); DStv Now (NGA)
A showpiece event at a reasonably unusual time, it seems reasonable to expect fireworks. Two big rivals and a certain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang narrative running through the occasion, here’s how to watch the action.
It’s sixth versus first in the penultimate weekend of club football before the World Cup, and unfortunately, it’s Chelsea who are the team sitting in sixth — though Arsenal do need to win today to stay first after Manchester City’s last-gasp victory with 10 men against Fulham yesterday.
Chelsea have picked up just two points from our last three league games, and most definitely could use a (long overdue) victory over the Gunners at the Bridge.
Chelsea starting lineup (4-something?):
Mendy | Cucurella, Silva, Chalobah, Azpilicueta (c) | Loftus-Cheek, Jorginho | Mount, Havertz | Sterling, Aubameyang
Substitutes from: Bettinelli, Koulibaly, Gallagher, Hall, Kovačić, Zakaria, Pulisic, Ziyech, Broja
Arsenal starting lineup (4-2-3-1):
Ramsdale | Zinchenko, Gabriel, Saliba, White | Xhaka, Partey | Martinelli, Ødegaard, Saka | Jesus
Substitutes from: Turner, Tierney, Holding, Cedric, Lokonga, Elneny, Vieira, Nelson, Nketiah
While Chelsea are reeling from a comprehensive first defeat of new manager Graham Potter’s reign in their 4-1 thrashing at Brighton and Hove Albion, the table-topping Gunners have won twice since then, hammering Nottingham Forest 5-0 and beating Zurich to win their Europa League group.
A meeting with the team they have met more than any other — 205 times — is the first of three tricky fixtures for Chelsea, who go to Manchester City in the EFL Cup on Wednesday and are at Newcastle United next Saturday in their final match before the World Cup in Qatar.