Arsenal held a six-point lead over second-placed Chelsea in the table going into this round of Premier League fixtures and a win at Stamford Bridge on Sunday will see the Gunners extend their advantage to seven points, from Manchester City following their win over Leeds which saw them go above the Blues.
Chelsea are in fine form themselves as they seek to extend a three-game winning streak. The Blues sent out something of a statement in the Champions League in midweek with an impressive 3-0 victory over Barcelona, and they have not conceded in the Premier League since a surprise defeat to Sunderland at Stamford Bridge at the end of October.
Sunday’s showdown is a huge fixture in the battle for the title and Chelsea could cut Arsenal’s lead at the top to just three points with a win, but are facing a side who have not lost in any competition since August.
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has confirmed that star man Cole Palmer is available for Sunday’s huge fixture after a lengthy absence. Palmer has not featured since September 20 but Maresca said he is fit enough to start against Arsenal, although it seems more likely that he will be named among the substitutes.
Dario Essugo is also available to return after surgery, but Levi Colwill, Romeo Lavia and Mykhailo Mudryk will not be involved.
Arsenal will definitely be without Gabriel Magalhaes and Gabriel Jesus at Chelsea.
Viktor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz are recovering from respective hamstring and knee issues and Sunday’s game may come too soon for the duo, but Leandro Trossard should be available despite picking up a knock in the midweek win over Bayern Munich.
Arsenal are on a 16-game unbeaten run across all competitions (W14, D2).
Two of Chelsea’s three Premier League defeats have come at Stamford Bridge.
The Gunners have won three of their last five trips to this venue and have not lost at the Bridge since 2018.
Chelsea have scored in 18 consecutive games after a 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace in the opening round of league fixtures.
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