Arsenal vs Chelsea Odds & Prediction – EPL Round 2

• Arsenal welcome Chelsea to The Emirates on Sunday for the historic London Derby
• The Gunners could be without Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette due to COVID, while Romelu Lukaku is in line to make his Blues debut
• Find the odds, preview, and prediction below

In arguably the most intriguing fixture of the weekend in the Premier League, Arsenal locks horns with London rivals, Chelsea, on Sunday at The Emirates. This clash has loads of history, but the Gunners have gotten the better of the Blues in recent memory, winning both meetings last term.

Arsenal’s campaign started on the wrong foot, suffering a 2-0 defeat to top-flight newcomers Brentford last weekend. Chelsea however, looked brilliant as they buried Crystal Palace 3-0 at Stamford Bridge.

Arsenal vs Chelsea Odds

All odds as of August 21th at DraftKings.

Arsenal Without Key Players

Mikel Arteta’s side was handed a huge blow against the Bees with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette unavailable to feature. Well, it appears the strike duo had both tested positive for COVID-19. But, the Gabonese international’s latest test came back negative, which means he could take the pitch.

Arsenal confirm Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Willian, Alexander Lacazette and Alex Runarsson all tested positive for COVID-19 last week.

Aubameyang is now negative and could make his return to action this Sunday against Chelsea. pic.twitter.com/0sMkCxKJ9q

— B/R Football (@brfootball) August 19, 2021

The Gunners were absolutely toothless in the final third on matchday one, despite having their fair share of the ball at 65% possession. The North Londoners registered a total of 22 shots, but just four of them found the target.

At the back, the absence of  Gabriel Magalhaes was also felt, with Brentford showing the ability to break their defense down relatively easily. Unfortunately, the Brazilian is still nursing a knee injury that he suffered at the Tokyo Olympics.

While it wasn’t an ideal start to the season by any means, it’s only going to get tougher for Arsenal. After this Chelsea clash, the Gunners face reigning champions Manchester City at the Etihad. Nicolas Pepe and Bukayo Saka will need to step up heavily up top and produce some goals because if not, three straight losses to begin the term could become a reality.

🤝 Aaron Ramsdale
🤝 Martin Odegaard

All in a days work 😉 pic.twitter.com/VqZ1MjBfDa

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 20, 2021

But, Arsenal should be feeling some confidence ahead of Sunday, despite missing numerous players. The side has only lost three of their last 14 meetings with the Blues and has secured three straight victories, also beating their rivals in the 2020 FA Cup Final. The Gunners just brought in two key signings in midfielder Martin Odegaard and keeper Aaron Ramsdale, but it’s unknown if the two players will be available for this game.

Lukaku Debut For Chelsea?

It’s not like the Blues needed any help in their Premier League opener, but Romelu Lukaku could very well make his debut for Thomas Tuchel’s squad against Arsenal after securing his move from Inter Milan last week. He will undoubtedly bring a whole new dynamic to the Chelsea attack thanks to his hold-up play and physicality on the ball.

The Blues were lethal on matchday one against a rather weak Palace side, with Marcos Alonso and Christian Pulisic firing their team ahead in the first half. Youngster Trevoh Chaloboah, who has been a breath of fresh air for Tuchel, sealed the deal with a breathtaking strike from distance early in the second period.

So much emotion from Trevoh Chalobah after scoring his first Premier League goal in his first Premier League match 💙pic.twitter.com/1ywkWFqe9E

— GOAL (@goal) August 15, 2021

Although Chelsea struggled immensely versus Arsenal in 2020/21, they’re in fine form right now. Aside from the convincing three points, the Blues also lifted the UEFA Super Cup after beating Villarreal in spot-kicks. The Champions League title-holders will be without Pulisic though, who has tested positive for Coronavirus. Hakim Ziyech’s status is also questionable following a shoulder injury in the Crystal Palace clash.

This may seem like a worthless statistic, but Chelsea hasn’t lost on a Sunday in their last 10 meetings with Arsenal, winning eight times and drawing twice.
Considering the type of football the squad has been playing lately, this would be the perfect time to end their league drought against the Gunners. The visitors also beat Arsenal 2-1 in the preseason, with both teams essentially rolling out their best starting XI’s.

Arsenal vs Chelsea Key Stats

Arsenal vs Chelsea Prediction

Arsenal has enjoyed their success against Chelsea across the last year, but I don’t see them coming out victorious here. The Blues have been very impressive in the final third and rock-solid at the back, which is why I’m taking them to secure a convincing win.

Pick: Chelsea to Win by Two Goals (+350)