Big Game Focus: Chelsea v Arsenal

The London derby will take place over the weekend and the Big Game Focus takes a look at the fixture with a few tips for your consideration.

After losing their first match of the season against defending champions Manchester City last weekend, Arsenal will now face former champions Chelsea away at Stamford Bridge. This match promises to be a firecracker between two teams that have made a lot of changes this summer.

Maurizio Sarri is in charge at Chelsea, whilst Unai Emery is the man at the helm of Arsenal after taking over from Arsene Wenger. The two new tacticians had a taste of what it feels like to coach in the Premier League last week, as both made their debuts. It will be very interesting to see how they cope with each other as the Blues seek to extend their good start to the season.

Here is our preview of the match.

Betting preview

Chelsea and Arsenal are two of the biggest teams in Europe, and they will both be in the fixture for the three points. Despite their defeat last week, the Gunners are not to be underestimated. They cracked Paris Saint-Germain 5-1 only two weeks ago and are well able to penetrate the Blues defence, as has been the case in three of the last four games between them. Backing Both teams to Score looks really attractive at odds of 1.60 here.

Maurizio Sarri started life in the Premier League on the right footing last weekend with a 3-0 win over Huddersfield. The Blues have had a good pre-season and are not yet ready to slow down. Backing a Draw No Bet for a Chelsea win looks good at odds of 1.35.

The last few games between Chelsea and Arsenal have been explosive, but they have not resulted in a lot of goals. There have been Under 3.5 Goals in seven of the last eight meetings between the two sides. Click here to back Under 3.5 Goals at odds of 1.45.

Pedro completed Chelsea’s rout against Huddersfield last weekend. Indeed, he has scored in two of his last four starts and we expect to see him in good shape this weekend. Backing Pedro for our Anytime Goalscorer market promises good returns at odds of 2.85 here.

Team news

Alvaro Morata is out of form and Sarri could opt to deploy Eden Hazard in a central role this Saturday. The Belgian striker was exceptional against Huddersfield and will provide a solid alternative for the Blues. If he is involved in this fixture, we could see Willian and Pedro on their usual flanks.

For their part, the Gunners have a big problem to solve in their defence. Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Sead Kolasinac and Nacho Monreal are all injured. Stephan Lichtsteiner seems to be their only fit option at left back.

Probable lineups

Chelsea: Kepa, Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Luiz, Alonso, Jorginho, Kante, Fabregas, Willian, Pedro, Hazard

Arsenal: Leno, Bellerin, Papastathopoulos, Mustafi, Lichtsteiner, Torreira, Xhaka, Mkhitaryan, Ramsey, Ozil, Aubameyang