Premier League – Chelsea vs Arsenal

Chelsea Vs Arsenal betting preview

Four points separate leaders Chelsea and third placed Arsenal going into Sunday’s mouth-watering clash at Stamford Bridge. Both teams failed to pick up wins in their last league games with the Blues coming unstuck at Manchester City while the Gunners were on the receiving end of a shock home defeat against West Brom. But who will prevail in front of the Sky cameras this weekend?

Chelsea have confirmed that Carlo Ancelotti will take his seat in the dug-out for this one despite the death of his father this week. In his absence in midweek, the West Londoners showed no ill-effects by comfortably brushing aside Marseille in the Champions League with goals from John Terry and Nicolas Anelka. And goals are something the reigning Premier League champions have in abundance, racking up an impressive goal difference tally of nineteen in their opening six games this campaign. In fact, last weekends defeat at Eastlands was the first time Chelsea had failed to score in a massive twenty-five league games which stretches way back to December 2009. So you can bet your bottom dollar that Arsenal’s aptly names keeper ‘Flappy Handski’ may well be picking the ball out of his net on at least one occasion on Sunday. The Blues are best priced 3-4 with Paddy Power to dispatch of their North London rivals.

Arsene Wenger’s side will be hoping to deliver their boss a milestone gift as the Frenchman celebrated fourteen years in charge of the club on Friday. He sends his troops to the Bridge aiming to bounce back from the unexpected defeat at the hands of the Baggies but his team did return to winning ways in Europe on Tuesday evening. The trip to Belgrade was dubbed a potential banana skin for Arsenal but their class told in the end running out 3-1 victors. Their start to the new Premier League season has been typical of the Gunners; they’ve taken apart teams at the Emirates including the 6-0 thumping of newcomers Blackpool and they’ve struggled to see out games on the road. A last gasp Darren Bent strike for Sunderland in their last away match was a timely reminder of the Gunners’ frailties in defence and it is those errors that will have to be erased if they are to get anything at Chelsea. SkyBet are best price for an Arsenal win at 9/2 but alarmingly Chelsea have lost just two of the previous seventeen meetings between the pair in all competitions.

The spotlight will be very much on Lukasz Fabianski on Sunday. The Polish stopper has had his fair share of criticism between the sticks but put in a man of the match performance against Partizan in midweek. He looks set to deputise for Manuel Almunia once again, but one of his most high profile errors did come against Chelsea in a FA Cup semi-final loss in 2009. The Blues have scored nine goals in their last three games against Arsenal, so can Fabianski stop the rot?

The draw is worth exploring in this one and Victor Chandler go 14/5 both teams cancel one another out. But injuries could cripple Arsenal’s chances this time around with playmaker and captain Cesc Fabregas likely to be sidelined through injury while Thomas Vermaelen has also been ruled out.

Unsurprisingly Dider Drogba heads the First Goalscorer marker once more at 10/3 (Victor Chandler). But it may pay to side with team-mate Florent Malouda at a much more creditable 6/1 (Betfred) considering the Frenchman has netted the first goal on three occasions this term, two of those coming at Stamford Bridge. Alternatively, the longshot wager could be with Ghana ace Michael Essier at 12/1 (BlueSquare) who rediscovered his goalscoring touch at Upton Park in early September. As for Arsenal, Andrei Arshavin is in fine form of late and the clubs top scorer has bagged fiver goals in all competitions, must be worth chancing at Betfred’s 11/1 and/or 7/2 anytime.

Reccomended bets

The match between these two Premier League giants promises to be hotly contested and we could see goals at both ends. Bet365 go 4/5 that both teams score while over 3.5 goals is tempting 2/1 at the same firm!

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