Story summary
Arsenal vs Chelsea: A Tale of Two Derbies
The highly anticipated London derby between Arsenal and Chelsea is just around the corner, with both teams looking to assert their dominance in the Premier League.
In a pre-match interview, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta expressed his confidence in his team's ability to compete against the Blues. "I think they have every ingredient to be in the highest part of the table," he said.
Meanwhile, Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso is expected to deploy Reece James in midfield, where his importance will likely grow after the transfer collapse of Lamine Camara and Enzo Fernandez's departure for Manchester City.
The two teams have been on a roll so far this season, with Arsenal showcasing their strength in depth against Aston Villa and Chelsea impressing with an attacking display against Brighton.
This match promises to be a thrilling encounter between two teams with different strengths. Can Arteta's side contain the Blues' new-look attack, or will Alonso's men prove too strong for the Gunners?
Chelsea XI vs Arsenal: Predicted Lineup
Emi Martinez is set to keep his place in goal, while Morgan Rogers, Cole Palmer, and Joao Pedro will again form the fearsome front three.
Reece James could start in midfield, where he will be expected to play a crucial role alongside Romeo Lavia and Valentin Barco.
Arsenal XI vs Chelsea: Predicted Lineup
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has indicated that Cristhian Mosquera's withdrawal against Aston Villa was precautionary, but the Gunners may still opt to add more experience to their back line with Ezri Konsa pushing for his full debut.
Bruno Guimaraes is a doubt after picking up a small issue in the previous match, while Timber is closing in on a return from injury.
How to Watch Arsenal vs Chelsea
The match will be shown live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage starting at 4pm BST ahead of the 4.30pm BST kick off.
Written for “Arsenal vs Chelsea Derby” on 2026-09-07,
grounded in this article and the 34 other(s) covering the same event.
Kai Havertz started for the west Londoners, while Kepa Arrizabalaga was on the bench.
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Arrizabalaga → start → bench
Jorginho, who featured in midfield for Chelsea that day, has also been and gone at the Emirates Stadium in the period since.
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who → feature → period
With Gabriel Martinelli leaving north London this week, there is just a sole survivor left from that match for the reigning Premier League champions.
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Martinelli → leave → champions
If the current crop of defenders offer something close to an impregnable shield for David Raya's goal, the backline five years ago was more of an ageing shed door, the kind vulnerable to being swung open by a gust of wind.
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backline → offer → wind
Arteta lined up with Rob Holding and Pablo Mari as his centre-backs, with Cedric Soares and Kieran Tierney at full-back.
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Arteta → line → back
Chelsea, unsurprisingly, enjoyed plenty of joy but Sunday's clash will be a very different affair.
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clash → enjoy → joy
Two clean sheets from two at the start of the Premier League season have come with the added detail of Coventry and Aston Villa mustering a single shot on target between them.
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Coventry → come → them
In Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Joao Pedro, today’s visitors have one of the most potent attacks in the league.
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visitors → have → league
How that trio fare against the home side’s brick wall will be fascinating.
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fare → fare → wall
It is further up the pitch, though, where the opportunity for an Arsenal player to stamp their authority on the derby feels most important.
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player → stamp → derby
In that 2021 match, he started on the left wing, an intriguing side note considering the discussion around Arsenal's options on that flank.
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he → start → flank
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After a summer in which Arsenal targeted but failed to land a top-class forward, Saka could be forgiven for finding recent debates fairly irritating.
uncertain
debates → read → forward
The consensus has been that this is a side lacking in a genuine superstar in attack, one who can produce the consistent numbers in front of goal to ensure the defensive crutch is not always required.
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crutch → lack → goal
Asked on Friday whether his side had a world-class attacker, Arteta was not particularly convincing in suggesting he thought the answer was yes.
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answer → ask → attacker
"I love my players, that's all I can say," he said.
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he → love → players
"In that bracket, how you want to put them, I don't know."
Saka will believe that is the category he belongs in.
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he → want → them
Thierry Henry certainly does, telling the winger on Monday night that he is waiting for him to deliver 15 goals and 15 assists in the same Premier League season.
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him → tell → season
That was after Saka scored the only goal against Aston Villa, backing up his finish on the opening night win over Coventry.
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Saka → score → Coventry
The 25-year-old has shaken off the Achilles injury that impacted him last season and over the summer at the World Cup.
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that → shake → Cup
Interestingly, both goals came from him drifting into the six-yard box to meet crosses or loose balls.
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him → come → crosses
That poacher's instinct would be a welcome string to add to his bow should it become a consistent feature.
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it → add → bow
Saka looks sharp and particularly motivated, keen to put those frustrations behind him.
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Saka → look → him
Arteta sensed as much from the first day of his pre-season.
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Arteta → sense → season
"I noticed that straight away," Arteta said.
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Arteta → notice → that
"This happens in your career and you need certain motivation, or a little pinch sometimes, to take it to a different level.
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you → happen → level
"And there are really good signs that Bukayo is giving to think that is going to be the case."
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that → be → that
Since that defeat to Chelsea in 2021, Saka has faced the Blues nine times and scored just once.
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Saka → face → 2021
However, he will fancy his chances against Xabi Alonso's side, who look potent up front but generous opponents at the back.
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who → fancy → back
Fulham scored two on the opening weekend, Brighton three a week later.
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Brighton → score → weekend
The three-at-the-back system should offer space for Saka to exploit out wide, even if Jorrel Hato looks likely to start as a more defensive wing-back option.
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Hato → offer → option
It is no surprise that Saka's strong form early in the season has come with familiar faces around him.
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form → come → him
Ben White, who he has an almost telepathic relationship with, has started every match behind him at right-back.
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he → have → back
Arsenal did not make a transformational attacking signing this summer and so the solutions must be internal ones.
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solutions → make → signing
Saka is the obvious one, the player perhaps most capable of elevating his level from recent seasons.
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Saka → elevate → seasons
In the 2024-25 season, he scored six league goals.
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he → score → goals
If he stays fit, those totals can be surpassed and significantly so.
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totals → stay → ?
Sunday's match is a big one so early in the season and a chance for Saka to get one over his international team-mates Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers, who Arsenal were so keen to sign earlier in the summer.
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Arsenal → get → summer
Asked this week what he thought of the new-look Chelsea side, Saka commented: "We'll see on Sunday."
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We → ask → Sunday
Arsenal need their starboy to become a talisman.
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starboy → need → ?
