Chelsea v Arsenal - Match preview and odds

Chelsea v Arsenal - Match preview and odds

Saturday, September 19 12:45pm - Stamford Bridge

Barclays Premier League

Chelsea and Arsenal will go head-to-head in the Premier League on Saturday having experienced contrasting fortunes during their midweek European campaigns.

A much needed win for Chelsea

When Eden Hazard sent his sixth-minute penalty soaring over the bar in Chelsea’s Champions League tie against Maccabi Tel Aviv on Wednesday night, it seemed like the early-season frustration was set to continue for Jose Mourinho and his team. However, it proved to be just a minor blip in want turned out to be a relatively easy night for the team in Blue.

Arsenal’s European hangover

Having secured a comfortable win in Europe, Chelsea will now be keen to reverse their league fortunes by claiming all three points against Arsenal this weekend. The Gunners did not have such an easy time in midweek having come away from Croatia empty-handed following a 2-1 defeat against Dinamo Zagreb. Arsene Wenger must now find a way of lifting his players ahead of this weekend’s headline fixture.

Pressure shift

A win for Jose Mourinho’s side would certainly lift some of the pressure from the shoulders of the Portuguese boss and transfer it to his counterpart. Wenger is already getting stick from some quarters following his team’s average league performances and their disappointing European opener. As a result, the game on Saturday could play a huge part in shaping the course of the season for both clubs.

Team news

Chelsea will be without the injured duo of Willian and Pedro for the game on Saturday lunchtime but Radamel Falcao may return to the squad. Oscar played just over an hour on his comeback from a knee injury in midweek and may be given a further rest on Saturday.

Petr Cech was rested for the Champions League game but should return between the sticks for Arsenal, while defender Per Mertesacker could also make his return after missing four games through illness.

Betting odds and tips

The Community Shield victory against Chelsea in August remains Wenger’s only victory over Jose Mourinho in 14 attempts. The Gunners have not scored a league goal against their London rivals in their last four meetings. However, they have had more shots on target than any other team in the Premier League this season.

Chelsea are enduring their worst start to a league season since 1986 and have conceded at least two goals in every game they have played. If they lose on Saturday, it will be the first time that Mourinho has lost three games in a row.

Chelsea’s poor start has made this game tougher to call than usual however, Wenger’s terrible record against Mourinho and the midweek results swings the momentum back in favour of the home side. You can back Chelsea to win at 7/5 with bet365 and that certainly looks like the value bet.

Arsenal do not have a great scoring record against Chelsea but with 11 goals in his last 11 league starts, Theo Walcott could be the player to buck that trend. He can be backed to score anytime at 9/4 with Skybet.

Any odds displayed within this article were correct at the time of publishing (18/09/2015) but are subject to change.

18/09/2015     © Frixo 2024