The international break is over and Premier League football returns this weekend. Arguably the game of Matchweek 9 sees Chelsea welcome Arsenal to Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening.
The Blues endured another disappointing start to the new campaign. Mauricio Pochettino was supposed to usher in a new era in West London but they suffered a hangover from last season as the Argentinean coach won just one of his opening six Premier League games in charge.
However, Chelsea found some form before the international break as they won their last three matches in all competitions. Back-to-back away wins against Fulham and Burnley have seen the Blues climb up to 11th in the table. They remain six points adrift of the top four but the pressure has certainly eased on Pochettino after a poor start to life at the Bridge.
Arsenal on the other hand have picked up where they left off last season and they are one of only two teams yet to taste defeat in the league this campaign. The Gunners have won six of their eight fixtures so far and proved they are ready to challenge for the title once again after beating champions Manchester City last time out.
Mikel Arteta’s men sit level on points with Tottenham at the top of the table. And with Spurs not playing Fulham until Monday night, Arsenal can go clear at the summit for at least 48 hours with a win over Chelsea this weekend.
Team news
Chelsea still have a number of injury issues to deal with heading into this game. Wesley Fofana, Christopher Nkunku, Ben Chilwell, Carney Chukwuemeka, Romeo Lavia and Trevoh Chalobah are all set to miss the clash.
There is better news on Axel Disasi as the defender has trained this week and should be back in contention following a thigh issue. Benoit Badiashile and Cole Palmer should also be available for selection.
Arsenal will hand Bukayo Saka a late fitness test after he missed the win over Man City with a hamstring injury. William Saliba will also be checked due to a toe injury while Leandro Trossard was forced off with a knock at half-time against City. Â
Betting odds
There will be plenty of interest in this game in the betting markets with bookmakers vying for your business with competitive odds. Gamblers can use a service like Asianstorm.com to ensure they get the best odds on the market in one account without having to troll through the internet.
Currently, Arsenal are priced as the 5/4 favourites to win the game. Chelsea can be backed at 23/10 to claim all three points at home while the draw is available at 12/5.
- Chelsea win 23/10
- Draw 12/5
- Arsenal win 5/4
Arsenal have a flawless away record this season as they’ve won each of their three games on the road without conceding a single goal. Chelsea should test that record this weekend, and while we don’t predict Arsenal to keep another clean sheet, we do tip them to collect all three points in West London.
Over 2.5 match goals looks a solid bet at odds of 10/11 while both teams to score in an Arsenal win is tempting at odds of 7/2.
Bukayo Saka is expected to overcome a late fitness test to start on Saturday and the England winger has been in excellent form this season. Saka is 6/4 to score or assist in this game, which looks like a good bet.
The Gunners have enjoyed recent success at Stamford Bridge having won their last three Premier League trips to Chelsea. Arsenal to win 2-1 on Saturday at odds of 8/1 is a sold bet if you want to predict the exact score.
