Arsenal vs Chelsea: Premier League – prediction, teams, lineups

Who: Arsenal vs Chelsea
What: English Premier League
The place: Emirates Stadium, London, United Kingdom
When: Sunday, August 6, at 4:30pm (15:30 GMT).
Find out how to comply with: Al Jazeera Sport will convey you all of the build-up forward of our stay protection from 12:30 GMT.

Arsenal supervisor Mikel Arteta is relishing ‌the prospect of going through longtime pal Xabi Alonso within the Premier League for the primary time ⁠when the defending champions ⁠host Chelsea on Sunday.

Really helpful Tales

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Each side have made excellent begins to the season, with Arsenal and Chelsea each taking six factors from their opening two matches.

Arteta and Alonso, each 44, grew ⁠up collectively in Spain’s Basque Nation and have remained shut all through their enjoying and training careers.

The pair first confronted one another as managers in a pleasant in 2024 when Alonso was answerable for Bayer ⁠Leverkusen, however Sunday’s encounter might be their first assembly in England’s high flight.

“I’m actually joyful for him. It’s unbelievable as a result of clearly we’ve got the historical past we’ve got collectively,” Arteta advised reporters on Friday.

“To be going through one another at such a degree and with the duty we’ve got managing a number of the high golf equipment within the nation ‌is a extremely stunning factor to expertise.”

Chelsea’s assault has been spectacular early within the marketing campaign, with Morgan Rogers, Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer all discovering type in entrance of objective, however Arteta stated controlling the circulation of the sport can be essential.

“That may rely on a variety of elements and sport state is a large one, particularly as a result of the 2 video games that they performed, they scored very, very early and that adjustments the momentum and the shift of the sport,” Arteta stated.

“However they’re succesful and ⁠he’s able to enjoying in numerous methods. He’s been a extremely profitable supervisor ⁠to this point.”

How did Arteta view Arsenal’s switch window enterprise?

Arsenal had been linked with numerous high-profile attacking targets throughout the transfer window, together with Rogers, Julian Alvarez and Vinicius Junior, however their solely ahead addition was Greece winger Christos Tzolis from Membership Brugge.

Arteta, nevertheless, dismissed ideas that Arsenal had fallen ⁠brief out there.

“I don’t know, these are simply opinions,” the Spaniard stated.

“The window is closed and I desire to take a look at all of the unbelievable issues ⁠that we’ve got on this squad and to not spend any ⁠extra time on the issues that aren’t a part of us proper now. That’s it and that’s my important duty.”

Arsenal will lean closely on the likes of Kai Havertz, Viktor Gyokeres and Bukayo Saka however Arteta insisted the assault just isn’t weaker in contrast with final season, ‌regardless of the departures of Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli.

“We’ve to grasp the quantity of minutes that these gamers performed and those that had been injured final 12 months, particularly within the first six months, ‌and ‌the info reveals one thing fully completely different,” Arteta stated.

“However it’s what it’s. It’s what we’ve got and, as I stated earlier than, we have already got some very, superb gamers.”

Alonso urges Chelsea to ‘transfer ahead’ after Fernandez’s exit

Alonso hopes everybody at Stamford Bridge can now “transfer ahead” following the protracted sale of Enzo Fernandez to Manchester Metropolis.

The Argentina midfielder left Stamford Bridge to affix Metropolis in a British record-equalling 125-million-pound ($169m) deal forward of the window closing on Tuesday.

Chelsea had hoped to offset Fernandez’s exit by bringing in midfielder Lamine Camara from Monaco, however that transfer collapsed when the Ligue 1 facet backed out having not signed a deal sheet earlier than the window closed.

Alonso, although, insists his focus is on the long run, beginning with Sunday’s journey throughout London to Premier League champions Arsenal, when Chelsea might be bidding to take care of their one hundred pc begin to the brand new marketing campaign.

“We take all the selections collectively,” Alonso advised a pre-match information convention on Friday. “We’re chargeable for them with our work collectively, the large ones, small ones.

“We knew finally the final objective is to have one of the best for the crew, for the squad, for day by day work right here. We need to construct spirit and crew, and we’ve got at all times taken the selections considering that we wished to succeed in that.”

Alonso added: “In soccer, many issues occur, and you might want to be ready for the whole lot.

“With Enzo, we’ve got had conversations, however at all times with respect as properly.

“What he has completed for the membership, it has been nice, and we’re grateful, however now it’s time to transfer ahead. We’ve a variety of huge personalities, gamers with a variety of high quality in all of the completely different positions and now we’re able to go.”

Alonso additionally refused to enter extra element concerning the collapse of the deal for Camara.

“I believe that we’re ready and pleased with the squad, the depth, with the wholesome competitors we’ve got in numerous positions,” he stated. “It’s a good steadiness between gamers of various phases [of their career].

“We have to construct that vitality through the week to carry out properly on the weekends. Thus far, it’s simply two video games, however it has been begin and now we all know who’s within the constructing and that’s good to have that certainty.”

Chelsea’s squad has undergone main change over the summer season.

“We may be very pleased with the entire switch window,” stated Alonso, who will make a late test over midfielder Moises Caicedo, who went off through the closing phases towards Brighton.

“What we began speaking about in late Might-early June, many issues we’ve got completed.”

Prediction

The Opta supercomputer offers Arsenal a 56 % likelihood of victory, however solely affords Chelsea a 21 % likelihood of claiming all three factors.

Head-to-head

This would be the 216th assembly between the edges with Arsenal profitable 87 of the encounters and Chelsea taking the spoils on 66 events.

Arsenal crew information

Cristhian Mosquera and Bruno Guimaraes each missed coaching for Arsenal on Thursday and are doubts for the sport. The previous was compelled off with a knock, alongside Declan Rice, within the Gunners’ final match, leaving query marks over their health.

Ezri Konsa is ready to make his full debut, so might be a straight swap for Mosquera

Jurrien Timber has returned to coaching following a groin harm, however William Saliba stays sidelined with a again downside.