Prediction and odds for the game: Arsenal (15/4) vs Chelsea (8/11)
We are backing Romelu Lukaku to be an anytime goalscorer at odds of 6/5
When: Sunday, 22nd August 2021, Kick-off 16:30
Where: The Emirates Stadium
On Sunday afternoon, London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea clash at the Emirates Stadium in the Premier League, as the visitors look to build on their opening day win.
Arsenal
The Gunners kicked off the new campaign with an underwhelming 2-0 performance in a 2-0 defeat at top-flight new boys Brentford. The defeat has brought criticism for the team and head coach Mikel Arteta. Since the loss, the club from north London has brought in midfielder Martin Odegaard from Real Madrid and goalkeeper Adam Ramsdale from Sheffield United. The latter is unlikely to feature, although Ramsdale is likely to go straight into the squad. He will likely start the game on the bench though.
The opening weekend defeat was a big blow to the Gunners, who had ended last season in good form, as Arteta’s team won the last six league games of the season. They will certainly need to improve to have a chance of getting anything from this London derby.
The good news for the home side is that they have a good recent record against the visitors, as they have won the last three meetings with the Blues.
Arsenal will once again be with Alexandre Lacazette and Willian due to COVID-19, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could feature after producing a negative test result. Youngster Folarin Balogun could continue upfront if the Gabon forward is not fit.
Chelsea
The Blues cruised to a comfortable 3-0 win over another London rival Crystal Palace in gameweek one. The win means that the visitors have now won six of their last nine matches in the English top-flight. There is a major belief that the Blues can win the Premier League title this season under the highly-rated Thomas Tuchel.
The club record return of Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku since the win over Palace only adds to the visitor’s chances of success. The 28-year-old cost the Blues an eye-watering £97.5m. He is a much more complete player than the one that left for Everton back in 2014. The former Everton striker could make his second debut for the Blues in this clash.
Chelsea’s away form towards the end of last season was good, as they have won six of their last nine matches on their travels in the English top-flight. A 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa in their last away match ended a run of eight away matches without a loss on their travels in the Premier League.
Conclusion
Arsenal were poor against Brentford, but they tend to lift their game against the visitors. Chelsea are looking strong and it’s hard to look beyond Tuchel’s side winning this clash. We are backing the away win. The other bet we recommend is Romelu Lukaku to be an anytime goalscorer on his debut. The forward will be highly motivated to kick-off his second spell at Chelsea with a goal.
Our picks: We are backing the away win at odds of 8/11 and/or Romelu Lukaku to be an anytime goalscorer at odds of 6/5. (All odds are taken from Bet 365).
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Who will come out on top in this capital derby?
