Chelsea vs Arsenal preview, predictions & possible XIs
Chelsea and Arsenal lock horns for the second time in less than a month at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night.
Frank Lampard‘s side ran out 2-1 winners at the Emirates Stadium back in December the last time these two London rivals faced off and looked to be taking a real stranglehold on that final Champions League spot until their late defeat to Newcastle United last time out.
Arsenal have remained unbeaten since that December meeting, although consecutive 1-1 draws with Crystal Palace and Sheffield United in their last two games will leave Mikel Arteta with much to ponder before heading to the Bridge.
Will Chelsea cement their place in the Champions League spots, or will Arsenal finally start climbing the Premier League table? Read on for our preview, predictions, team news and TV coverage information.
When is Chelsea vs Arsenal and where can I watch live?
Competition: Premier League
Venue: Stamford Bridge
Date: Tuesday, January 21 2020
Kick-off: 8:15 PM (UK time)
TV coverage (UK): BT Sport 1 & online via the BT Sport app
Last five meetings: Chelsea vs Arsenal
29 Dec 2019: Arsenal 1-2 Chelsea (Premier League)
29 May 2019: Chelsea 4-1 Arsenal (Uefa Europa League Final)
19 Jan 2019: Arsenal 2-0 Chelsea (Premier League)
18 Aug 2018: Chelsea 3-2 Arsenal (Premier League)
24 Jan 2018: Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea (League Cup)
Aggregate Score: Chelsea (WWLWL) 10-8 Arsenal (LLWLW)
Ones to watch
Chelsea: Jorginho
Lampard is likely to make a number of changes in order to keep his side fresh, especially in midfield. However, one man who is almost certain to retain his place is Jorginho.
The Italy international continues to run Chelsea‘s midfield like clockwork, shifting possession along with swift accuracy, while he also provides a solid defensive screen in front of his back four.
Both sides will look to dominate the ball on Tuesday night, so Jorginho’s composure in the thick of the midfield battle will be key.
Key stat: Jorginho has completed more passes (1310) than any other Chelsea player in the Premier League this season, ranking fifth in the division overall.
Arsenal: Granit Xhaka
Just as Lampard will look to use Jorginho to dominate possession, Arteta is highly unlikely to instruct his Arsenal side to sit back in a defensive block. The Gunners will themselves look to assert themselves on the ball and if they’re to do so, Granit Xhaka will be vital.
The Switzerland international has well and truly won his place back in the Arsenal starting XI after a tough personal period and as well as demonstrating his excellent passing range, Xhaka has proven himself an excellent ball-winner, making 30 tackles in the Premier League so far this season – only Ainsley Maitland-Niles (32) has made more for the Gunners.
Key stat: Xhaka has completed more passes (982) in the Premier League than any other Arsenal player this season.
Mikel Arteta assesses Arsenal’s draw with Sheffield Utd
Team news
Chelsea
Reece James’ ankle injury could be enough to keep him out of Tuesday’s clash and the teenager faces a late fitness test. Christian Pulisic and Marco van Ginkel are on the treatment table, while Marcos Alonso is set to return to the squad. Ruben Loftus-Cheek is still not ready to feature.
Lampard may opt to make a number of changes to his starting line-up given the quick turnaround between games with the likes of Mateo Kovacic and Ross Barkley aiming to win a starting berth.
Predicted XI: Arrizabalaga; Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Zouma, Emerson; Jorginho, Barkley, Kovacic; Willian, Abraham, Hudson-Odoi.
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Arsenal
Sokratis missed Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Sheffield United but Shkodran Mustafi put in a solid performance in his absence, so Arteta may be tempted to stick with him and David Luiz in central defence.
Hector Bellerin is bidding to recover from a hamstring injury while Kieran Tierney remains sidelined and Sead Kolasinac is a doubt, meaning Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Bukayo Saka may fill in in the full-back positions again.
Reiss Nelson is injured, while captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is suspended.
Predicted XI: Leno; Maitland-Niles, Mustafi, Luiz, Saka; Guendouzi, Xhaka; Pepe, Ozil, Martinelli; Lacazette.
Squawka prediction
Neither side really took advantage of some favourable results last time out and still have plenty of work to do if they’re to meet their respective goals.
Given that they’re still stuck back in 10th place, Arsenal need the points more than Chelsea. But the Blues have far more quality throughout their ranks and boast a favourable recent record against their London rivals, so we expect that trend to continue here.
Scoreline prediction: Chelsea 2-1 Arsenal
Check out more of Squawka’s Premier League predictions here.
