Home of football statistics and historyArsenal welcome Chelsea to the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday for a fixture which could be pivotal to their hopes of winning the Premier League title this season.
The Gunners moved back to the top of the table with a 2-0 victory at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday and desperately need to follow up against the Blues.
Mikel Arteta’s side are level on 74 points with Liverpool, with reigning champions Manchester City one point adrift but with a game in hand.
A victory over Chelsea would crank up the pressure on their title rivals, but that will be easier said than done against a team who still have plenty to play for this season.
The Blues remain in contention for a top six finish after a decent run of form and they will fancy their chances of upsetting the odds against Arsenal.
However, the sportsbooks listed at SPELTIPS.INC think they will have their work cut out, with the Gunners rated as odds-on shots to pick up three valuable points.
With trips to Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United still on the agenda, Arsenal’s run-in is the toughest of the three title contenders.
The victory at Wolves was a welcome return to form following a disappointing run of results saw them relinquish top spot in the league and crash out of the Champions League.
They showed plenty of resilience against the Midlands outfit to keep their sixth consecutive clean sheet in the league for the first time in their history.
Wolves gave them plenty to think about despite not being at full strength and Arsenal will need to play much better if they are to beat Chelsea.
The Blues have forced their way into contention for European qualification in recent weeks, but still remain an enigma under manager Mauricio Pochettino.
They blew a golden opportunity to reach the FA Cup final over the weekend, spurning several excellent chances to score against Man City at Wembley Stadium.
Nicolas Jackson was particularly wasteful, adding further fuel to the belief that he lacks the composure needed to be a genuinely top-class striker.
Recent history between these two sides favours Arsenal, with Chelsea recording just one victory over their London rivals in their last nine meetings.
The Blues should have improved that record in the reverse fixture, but they squandered a two-lead to draw 2-2 at Stamford Bridge in October.
Cole Palmer was on the scoresheet on that occasion, but faces a race to be fit for the game after missing training through illness.
The England international has netted 11 goals in his last seven outings and he could cause Arsenal’s defence plenty of problems if he plays on Tuesday.
However, his team may ultimately be on the wrong end of the scoreline, with Arsenal fancied to justify their status as the bookmakers’ favourites by claiming a narrow victory.
Predicted Line-Ups
Arsenal: David Raya, Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Jorginho, Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz.
Chelsea: Djordje Petrovic, Axel Disasi, Thiago Silva, Trevoh Chalobah, Ben Chilwell, Moises Caicedo, Conor Gallagher, Enzo Fernandez, Mykhailo Mudryk, Nicolas Jackson, Noni Madueke.
Match Prediction
While Chelsea undoubtedly have the ability to cause Arsenal problems if they produce their best form, there is no guarantee they will trouble the hosts.
The Blues have been hugely inconsistent under Pochettino and may struggle to put their cup semi-final defeat to the back of their minds.
With Palmer doubtful for the game, Arsenal should have enough about them to pick up another crucial victory at the Emirates.
Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea.
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