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Arsenal vs Chelsea: Premier League Preview, Prediction and Key Team News
The Premier League rarely pauses for breath and this weekend it serves up another London rivalry with consequences at both ends of the table. Arsenal welcome Chelsea to the Emirates Stadium, buoyed by momentum, while their visitors arrive with questions that refuse to go away.
Fresh from dismantling Tottenham 4-1, Arsenal have reasserted themselves in the title conversation. The timing matters. Manchester City, sitting second with a game in hand, play before the Gunners. By the time Sunday afternoon comes around, the arithmetic could sharpen the focus even further.
Chelsea, meanwhile, hover in fifth. Three points separate them from fourth placed Manchester United, while Liverpool sit level behind. In a congested Premier League race for Champions League places, margins are slim and discipline, or the lack of it, can tilt seasons.
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Match Details and Broadcast Information
Arsenal vs Chelsea kicks off at 4:30pm GMT on Sunday March 1, 2026, at the Emirates Stadium in north London.
Supporters in the UK can watch the match live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football, with coverage beginning at 3:30pm GMT. Subscribers can stream via the Sky Go app, ensuring this Premier League encounter is accessible across multiple platforms.
Team News Shaping Arsenal and Chelsea
Arsenal have a few fitness calls to make. Kai Havertz and Ben White will be assessed ahead of kick off, while Mikel Merino remains sidelined following foot surgery. Max Dowman is back in training after an ankle ligament issue but has yet to return to a matchday squad. Bukayo Saka is expected to be available despite an injury scare against Tottenham, a timely boost given his influence in big Premier League fixtures.
Chelsea continue to juggle absences of their own. Marc Cucurella, Jamie Gittens and Levi Colwill are unavailable, with Filip Jorgensen still working his way back. Squad depth has been tested and late goals conceded have become an uncomfortable theme.
That tension is reflected in the manager’s own words. “That’s the reality of my job. If you lose games you will be criticised and if you win, you are a genius. It’s usually somewhere in between.”
Tactical Questions After Carabao Cup Meeting
The recent Carabao Cup semi final at the Emirates offered a revealing subplot. Chelsea prioritised control and containment, limiting Arsenal’s set piece threat and slowing the tempo. What they lacked was incision. Even with the introductions of Cole Palmer and Estevao, clear chances were scarce.
It raises a familiar question for this Premier League meeting. Will Chelsea loosen the reins, or double down on structure and counter attack? Given their tendency to concede late and their ongoing disciplinary issues, caution may prevail.
Arsenal, by contrast, look assured. The win over Tottenham carried both swagger and substance. Their pressing was co ordinated, their finishing clinical. In a title race, these are not decorative qualities, they are essential.
Prediction and Premier League Context
History leans towards Arsenal. They have not lost to Chelsea in any competition since a 2-0 Premier League defeat in August 2021, a run spanning ten matches. Recent meetings include a 3-2 Carabao Cup win and a 1-0 victory that sealed a 4-2 aggregate success.
Chelsea’s challenge is not talent but consistency. In this Premier League campaign, lapses in concentration have undermined otherwise promising passages of play. Against an Arsenal side that senses opportunity, that could prove decisive.
Expect a competitive contest, but one where Arsenal’s confidence and structure edge proceedings. It may not be a spectacle for the purist, yet the Gunners should have enough.
Prediction: Arsenal 2-0 Chelsea.