Team
news and stats ahead of Arsenal vs Chelsea in the Premier League on
Saturday, live on Sky Sports; kick-off 5.30pm.
Team news
Arsenal are sweating on the fitness of captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
ahead of their Boxing Day Premier League clash with London rivals Chelsea.
The forward has missed the last two games with a calf injury and boss Mikel
Arteta will be keen to have him back as the Gunners look to address their
poor run of form.
Thomas Partey (thigh) is expected to miss out again but fellow midfielder
Granit Xhaka is available having served a three-match ban and Gabriel
Martinelli is likely to be fit after limping off against Manchester City on
Tuesday.
Chelsea will hand late fitness tests to full-backs Ben Chilwell and Reece
James ahead of the Emirates Stadium encounter.
Chilwell has an ankle issue and James a knee problem, and the England stars
could miss both the Arsenal clash and Monday's Stamford Bridge meeting with
Aston Villa.
Hakim Ziyech is also still sidelined with a hamstring injury but is closing
in on a return to action.
Jones Knows Prediction
Arsenal are on the ropes. They have been battered from pillar to post this
week. Right-hook, left-hook - is Mikel Arteta just one uppercut away from a
knockout blow? Potentially.
However, rejoice Arsenal fans, the next few paragraphs will be a break from
the negative and emotive narrative.
I just simply can't have Chelsea at odds-on. The bet has to be Arsenal at
3/1 for their fortunes to change and record a season-changing home win.
Yes, they haven't won in seven Premier League games, including losing four
of their last five at home. But, there is a difference in this fixture to
those defeats: the expectation is all on Chelsea. Arteta's controlled and
rigid style of football is absolutely suited to soaking up pressure against
so-called superior teams. They are hard to break down.
Let's not forget, Arsenal have won six of their last 10 games in all
competitions vs 'big six' sides since July 15, including their last Premier
League victory at Manchester United, who have won six of their last seven
matches since that defeat.
Since the turn of the year, Frank Lampard's team have only won five Premier
League games away from Stamford Bridge - 11 teams have won more. It is a run
of results backed up by their numbers in attack. For example, in their six
games on the road this season, their expected goals figure is just 7.54 -
only Burnley, Newcastle, Wolves, Sheffield United and West Brom have a lower
total on the road.
Even against West Ham on Monday, Chelsea looked devoid of ideas. That
scoreline flattered them.
Defensively, Arsenal have the structure and tactical nous to frustrate the
Blues. Arteta's boys have the sixth-best defensive record in the Premier
League this season, a figure backed up by their 'expected goals against'
metric which again has them the sixth-best defence in the division. Chelsea
statistically possess the best defence so this has the hallmarks of a
low-scoring encounter that could be settled by one moment of individual
quality.
Each week the betting markets move in Arsenal's direction - they went off
favourites last weekend at Everton - and this just might be the time to
catch them at a monstrous price.
In tight games of this nature, one team shouldn't be as big as 3/1 and the
7/1 for an Arsenal win and under 2.5 goals should be taken seriously.
JONES KNOWS PREDICTS: 1-0 (10/1 with Sky Bet)
Opta stats
Arsenal lost this exact fixture 1-2 last season, despite being 1-0 ahead
until the 83rd minute. They've not lost back-to-back home league games
against Chelsea since November 2009.
Chelsea have lost just two of their last 17 Premier League meetings with
Arsenal (W9 D6), with both of those defeats coming at the Emirates (0-3 in
September 2016, 0-2 in January 2019).
The side scoring first won none of the three meetings in all competitions
between Arsenal and Chelsea last season (D1 L2), with Arsenal coming from
behind to win the FA Cup final in the most recent encounter.
Arsenal haven't lost any of their last 12 Boxing Day home games (W10 D2)
since a 0-2 loss against Nottingham Forest in 1987. The Gunners have won
each of their last nine such games in the Premier League, including a 2-1
victory over Chelsea in 2001.
Chelsea lost 0-2 against Southampton on Boxing Day last season, ending a run
of 14 games without defeat on 26th December (W9 D5). The Blues haven't lost
consecutive Boxing Day matches since 1994/1995.
Arsenal are winless in their last seven Premier League games (D2 L5) - only
once in the competition's history have they had a longer run without a win,
going eight games between November 1992-January 1993.
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