With two wins in the bag to start the season, the Gunners return to the Emirates for the first (and final) time in September as a massive London Derby awaits when the Gunners face the red-hot Blues on Sunday.
Arsenal’s win over Villa on Monday was their first road test, and they passed it with, well, not flying colors, but colors nonetheless. It was far from a vintage performance, but they gutted it out for a classic 1-0 to the Arsenal scoreline despite Villa’s best efforts to send half the roster to the hospital.
Now an even bigger test awaits with Chelsea on deck. They have shot out of the gates with an impressive attack but plenty of questions at the back as they join the Gunners, Hull City, and Manchester City as the only clubs with a perfect record so far. Mikel Arteta will face off against his childhood friend Xabi Alonso as Chelsea hope he will finally be the manager to turn their fortunes around after a long list of disastrous appointments.
It’s a huge match for Arsenal, and not just for their Premier League positioning and bragging rights. The Champions League kicks off next week, which means Sunday is the last match for the Gunners to tweak their roster and tactics before the fixture congestion kicks in. It’s also their last match at the Emirates before four straight away tilts across three different competitions ahead of the first international break at the end of the month.
The league’s best defense faces the league’s top attack in the weekend’s marquee match. Both teams will look to establish themselves as early leaders for the title, and Chelsea enter motivated by the chance to finally get one over Arteta and company after four seasons of futility. Can Arsenal keep the Blues’ attack at bay, maintain their recent dominance in the rivalry, and stay at the head of the pack?
League record: 2-0-0 (4th)
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: After yet another dismal season where they spent ungodly sums only to underperform and fire their manager, Chelsea entered the summer by making a flashy coaching hire while spending the summer throwing money around at just about any big name with a pulse and flexible standards.
Xabi Alonso becomes the latest Chelsea managerial hire after last season’s carousel saw Enzo Maresca quit midseason before the spectacularly awful appointment of Liam Rosenior lasted just over 100 days. After a massively successful stint at Bayer Leverkusen and a six month short stay at Real Madrid last season, Alonso becomes the Blues’ 10th non-interim manager since they last won the league in 2016/17.
Early returns in the Xabi Alonso era have been a success with two wins to start their league campaign. It’s far too early to read the tea leaves and make any serious predictions, but the lack of European football could bode well for the West London club who have failed to find balance with bloated rosters and coaching instability season after season. Alonso’s job is about more than winning matches; establishing consistency will be paramount to his and the club’s success.
The attack, which was bolstered with former Villa man Morgan Rogers, are the class of the league so far. Over the first two matches of the season, they have led the league in goals with 7 in total as João Pedro, Cole Palmer, and Rogers have all gotten off the mark. After they boasted the league’s top xG last season, it’s not all that surprising that they picked up where they left off, and the addition of Rogers looks like the sort of signing to take it to further heights. It’s also one that is sure to leave a bitter taste in Arsenal fans’ mouths, as the Gunners balked at Villa’s asking price before Chelsea happily agreed to buy the England international to the tune of £116m.
On the inverse, their defense has given up 5 goals to the opposition to keep matches closer than they would like. If you’re a neutral, then Chelsea matches are your best bang for your entertainment buck with the total goals averaging 6 per match. Losing left back Marc Cucurella to Real Madrid was a big blow to their back line, but Xabi’s decision to play a 3-4-3 so far means less reliance on a traditional fullback like Cucurella. Maxence LaCroix joined from Crystal Palace, but the back line still looks a work in progress as they adapt to a new formation.
Behind the back line is where maybe the most significant change has happened. Former Hale Ender Emi Martinez has completed his villain arc by joining the Blues after Alonso saw two matches of Roberto Sanchez in goal and said “that’s enough of that.” He’s talented, sure, but prone to some truly spectacular gaffes.
Midfield, though, has already become a massive point of concern for Chelsea, magnified by a comedically hilarious ending to the transfer window. The club greenlit Enzo Fernandez’ move to Manchester City after lining up a move for Monaco’s Lamine Camara. The French side needed to sell, and when it looked like former Arsenal striker Flo Balogun’s move to Everton had been called off, Monaco offered Camara to Chelsea. But then Balogun’s move was back on, so they changed their minds on Camara. Eventually, neither player moved, the window closed, and Chelsea were left with a gaping hole in their midfield that they couldn’t address in time. Without a shred of irony, Chelsea made their discontent vocal and posted about the “deeply unprofessional” behavior of Monaco in the aftermath.
How they navigate the midfield before January has the potential to make or break their season before it reaches the halfway mark. Not only is Enzo gone, but Moises Caicedo has begun the season dealing with a calf issue, which has forced Alonso to rely on the likes of Malo Gusto and Reece James in the midfield. Chelsea have more than enough players on their books, but without an elite midfielder to replace Fernandez, they might find it hard to distance themselves from their competition, especially when the winter fixture list gets dense.
Sunday is a big one. Both clubs will look at this match as a chance to send a message to the rest of the league. For the Gunners, the path to victory is to play it smart at the back, minimize mistakes, and weather the visitors’ efforts early. Chelsea have had tremendous success punishing defensive errors and scoring in the opening phases of matches. If Arsenal believe that out-possessing them will be a difference maker, they simply need to look at Chelsea’s last match where they came out on top despite having only 26% possession. If the defense gives the visitors an inch, they will do everything they can to take a mile.
Incomings: Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Maxence LaCroix (Crystal Palace), Emi Martinez (Aston Villa), Marco Palestra (Atalanta), Geovany Quenda (Sporting), Valentin Barco (Strasbourg), Emmanuel Emegha (Strasbourg), Pep Chavarria (Rayo Vallecano), Danny Welbeck (Brighton), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Dastan Satpaev (Kairat Almaty)
Departures: Enzo Fernandez (Manchester City), Andrey Santos (Manchester United), Nicolas Jackson (Aston Villa), Marc Cucurella (Real Madrid), Liam Delap (Nottingham Forest), Trevoh Chalobah (Como), Tyrique George (Everton), Marc Guiu (Leipzig), Tyson Adarabioyo (Tottenham), David Datro Fofana (Servette FC)
Injuries: Moises Caicedo (calf), Jordan Henderson (wrist), Marco Palestra (other)
For injuries, suspensions, and predicted lineups for the Gunners, check out this week’s preview post.
WHO: Arsenal vs Chelsea
WHAT: Premier League match day 3
WHEN: Sunday, September 6th, 11:30am EST/8:30am PST/4:30pm GMT
WHERE: The Emirates Stadium, London
HOW TO WATCH: Broadcast live on The USA Network. Streaming on the Peacock app.
For all your international streaming needs, check LiveSoccerTV.com. Please do not share or discuss links to illegal streams here.
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