Arsenal welcome Chelsea to the Emirates Stadium in a mouth-watering Boxing Day with potential implications at both ends of the table.
Victory will see Arsenal at least temporarily climb above Leeds into 14th whilst a win could put Chelsea as high as second if Leicester and Manchester United draw earlier in the day.
Team News
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could return for Arsenal after missing their last two defeats with a calf injury.
Gabriel Martinelli (shin) is a doubt but Granit Xhaka returns after serving his two match ban as Thomas Partey (hamstring) remains ruled out.
Chelsea could be without Ben Chilwell after he suffered an ankle injury in Monday’s win over West Ham.
Reece James (knee) and Hakim Ziyech (hamstring) remain sidelined.
Stat Attack
- Arsenal have won just one of their last seven league meetings against Chelsea (W1, D3, L3).
- Chelsea have won two of their last five league trips to the Emirates Stadium (W2, D1, L2).
- Mikel Arteta’s Gunners have lost one of four previous Boxing Day clashes against Chelsea (W3, L1), of which the last came in 2001.
- 26 of Chelsea’s 29 league goals this season have come from inside the box, of which three goals came from the penalty spot.
- Willian and Hector Bellerin are the only two Arsenal players to have made more than one league assist this season, having produced two and three assists respectively.
- Arsenal have avoided defeat in their last five Boxing Day round matches (W4, D1), although this marks their first home match on Boxing Day without Arsene Wenger at the helm.
- Chelsea are unbeaten in three of their last five Boxing Day round away trips (W2, D1, L2), with both defeats coming at Arsenal.
Prediction
Arsenal will be glad to have found some goals domestically in recent games but their defensive issues do still remain very alarming because Everton and Man City in the last week were able to rip open the Gunners’ defence unmarked.
Chelsea meanwhile had to ride their luck against West Ham at times on Monday night but were able to produce a clinical win, particularly in terms of escaping their man marker which I think is going to play an important role here in terms of performance.
This is a huge test for Arsenal though more than Chelsea because if Fulham win earlier in the day followed by Burnley and Brighton on Sunday afternoon, the Gunners could well find themselves one point above the drop.
I therefore feel that unless the Gunners pull out a brilliant display which is unlikely based on current form, Chelsea should have enough for a routine win despite previous Boxing Day woes against Arsenal.
Prediction: Arsenal 0-2 Chelsea
Result: Arsenal 3-1 Chelsea
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