INFO
London rivals Chelsea and Arsenal face off tonight as the Blues look to take a big step towards securing a top-four finish this season.
Chelsea are six points ahead of West Ham in fifth and a victory this evening should be enough to confirm Champions League football for next term.
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The Blues beat new top-flight champions Manchester City at the weekend and take on Leicester in the FA Cup final on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Arsenal are ninth and are looking finish as strongly as possible after a difficult campaign.
The Gunners did beat Chelsea 3-1 in the reverse of this fixture on Boxing Day.
Chelsea v Arsenal: How to watch
This match will be held at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, May 12 and will kick-off at 8:15pm.
The game is being broadcast on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event from 7:30pm.
Sky Sports customers can live stream this via the app using their mobile, tablet or computer devices.
If not, you can purchase a Sky Sports Day Pass from NowTV for £9.99.
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Chelsea v Arsenal: Confirmed line-ups
Mateo Kovacic and Andreas Christensen miss the visit of London rivals Arsenal.
Kovacic remains sidelined with a hamstring issue and Christensen has a leg tendon concern.
The pair will also face a race against time to be ready for Saturday's FA Cup final.
Meanwhile, Gunners defender David Luiz continues to struggle with a hamstring injury and will not feature against his former team.
Chelsea: Kepa, James, Azpilicueta, Silva, Zouma, Chilwell, Jorginho, Gilmour, Pulisic, Mount, Havertz.
Subs: Mendy, Alonso, Werner, Giroud, Hudson-Odoi, Ziyech, Emerson, Anjorin, Livramento.
Arsenal: Leno, Gabriel, Mari, Holding, Tierney, Partey, Elneny, Saka, Odegaard, Smith Rowe, Aubameyang
Subs: Ryan, Bellerin, Ceballos, Lacazette, Willian, Cedric, Pepe, Chambers, Martinelli.
Chelsea v Arsenal: What has been said?
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta: “We have made progress in many areas, I would say performance included, and that is supported by many factors that we have looked at.
“Results-wise, to be where we want to be, it has to be improved.
“Chelsea have been the best team in the league in the last few months, what Thomas has been able to do since he arrived has been exceptional.
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“He put the team in two finals, the way the team is looking, how solid they are defensively as well, how composed and regular they have been in their performance has been excellent."
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Chelsea v Arsenal: Match stats and facts
- Chelsea are unbeaten in their last eight home Premier League matches against Arsenal (W6 D2) since losing 5-3 at Stamford Bridge back in October 2011 under André Villas-Boas.
- Arsenal won 3-1 against Chelsea on Boxing Day earlier this season in the Premier League, last completing a double over the Blues in their 2003-04 title-winning campaign.
- Arsenal have never lost a Premier League match against Chelsea when facing them in a midweek tie (Tuesday or Wednesday), though six of those games have ended level (W2). The Gunners’ four such visits to Stamford Bridge have all ended in a draw (0-0 September 1998, 2-2 September 2000, 0-0 April 2005, 2-2 January 2020).
- Arsenal have won their last two meetings with Chelsea in all competitions, last beating the Blues in three consecutive games between March 2003 and February 2004 (four in a row).
- Chelsea have won more points in Premier League London derby games this season than any other side (22 – W7 D1 L1). Victory here would equal the record for most points won in such games in a single Premier League campaign, with Arsenal in 2013-14, and Chelsea in 2005-06 & 2014-15 winning 25 points.
- Chelsea have kept a clean sheet in seven of their eight Premier League home games under Thomas Tuchel, with the exception being a 5-2 defeat to West Bromwich Albion in April.
- Arsenal are unbeaten in their last five away league games (W3 D2), winning the last two by an aggregate score of 5-0. The Gunners haven’t won three in a row on the road without conceding since May 2013.
- Chelsea’s last eight Premier League defeats against Arsenal have been with a different manager in the dugout – Claudio Ranieri, Avram Grant, Felipe Scolari, Carlo Ancelotti, André Villas-Boas, Antonio Conte, Maurizio Sarri and Frank Lampard. Of those eight, only Grant, Scolari, Villas-Boas and Conte lost their first league meeting with the Gunners.
- On the day of this game, Mikel Arteta will be 39 years and 47 days old – should Arsenal win, he will be the youngest manager to complete a top-flight double over Chelsea since Trevor Francis in the 1991-92 season with Sheffield Wednesday, aged 37.
- 53% of Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette’s away Premier League goals have been scored this season (10/19). The Frenchman scored in the reverse game against Chelsea this season (along with Granit Xhaka and Bukayo Saka), with Edu in 2003-04 the last Arsenal player to score home and away against the Blues in the same league season.