This afternoon, the focus of the Premier League is on Chelsea and Arsenal. Club historian Rick Glanvill and statistician Paul Dutton provide insights as we approach the 215th match in this historic rivalry in the capital.
For the Blues, who are vying for a spot in the Champions League, the trip to the Emirates Stadium marks the first of two away matches within four days against teams ranked higher in the Premier League standings. The second match is scheduled for Wednesday night as we head to face Aston Villa.
Chelsea boasts the second-best away performance in the league this season, having secured 22 points from 13 matches on the road. Only today’s rivals have a superior record with 29 points.
This season, the Gunners have demonstrated solid performance at home, yet Mikel Arteta’s team has managed to secure only two victories in their last four matches at the Emirates Stadium. Additionally, regarding Sunday encounters in this part of north London, we boast a notable success rate of 46.2 percent, with six wins, three draws, and four losses.
The Premier League match at Stamford Bridge ended in a 1-1 draw. Trevoh Chalobah scored first for the ten-man Blues, but Mikel Merino equalized shortly after.
Chelsea has accumulated 35 attempts on goal in our last three matchups against Arsenal in the 2025/26 season, with 14 of those coming in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final at the Emirates, which unfortunately resulted in a loss.
Liam Rosenior’s squad aims to secure a victory at the Gunners’ fortress for the first time since August 2021, when Romelu Lukaku and Reece James scored in a 2-0 triumph.
Updates on Chelsea’s squad
During his pre-match press briefing, Rosenior stated that James is available to play against Arsenal, while both Marc Cucurella and Estevao Willian will be sidelined. Additionally, our head coach shared updates regarding the recovery progress of Levi Colwill, Dario Essugo, Jamie Gittens, and Romeo Lavia.
‘Romeo Lavia is becoming increasingly stronger,’ remarked the head coach of the Blues. ‘We had a small practice match earlier in the week, and he performed exceptionally well, which is fantastic for him.
‘Jamie Gittens is making significant strides in his rehabilitation. Cucu is also making good progress, but he won’t be ready for Sunday. We hope to have him back as soon as we can.’
‘Levi is progressing well in his long-term rehabilitation, and Dario Essugo has returned to training as well. We are hopeful that we can have all these players fit and ready to play before the season concludes.’
The historical context
Matches between Chelsea and Arsenal have frequently been significant, transcending mere local rivalry, highlighted by five cup finals and numerous semi-finals.
The inaugural top-tier derby in London took place between these two teams in 1907, resulting in a 2-1 victory for the Blues. Additionally, the highest recorded attendance at Stamford Bridge occurred during a 1-1 draw with the Gunners in 1935.
The two teams have frequently clashed when the championship was at stake, just like this weekend.
Twenty-one years prior, the newly crowned champions Chelsea secured the bragging rights in the capital, breaking a streak of 20 league matches against Arsenal since 1995 without a victory.
During that period, the north London club secured the league title three times: in 1997/98, 2001/02, and 2003/04, marking their latest achievement in this regard.
Among the forwards acquired last summer, Joao Pedro stands out as the top scorer with 11 goals in the Premier League, surpassing Hugo Ekitike (10), Viktor Gyokeres (10), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (10), Nick Woltemade (seven), and Benjamin Sesko (six).
The reigning champions are currently tied for the second-best away record in the league, accumulating 22 points, and have netted the highest number of goals on the road with 25.
This season, Chelsea has relinquished 19 points in league matches after taking the lead, with only two of those points lost in away games from Stamford Bridge, where they have managed to score first in five out of 13 matches.
This year, only the players from Tottenham Hotspur have committed more mistakes that resulted in goals (five) compared to those from Arsenal (four).
The Blues have been on a streak of achieving hat-tricks in successive away matches – with Cole Palmer at Wolverhampton Wanderers and Pedro Neto during the FA Cup against Hull City.
This season, the Blues have achieved six victories and suffered one defeat in their 10 top-tier London derbies.
Standings for Arsenal F.C. versus Chelsea F.C. in the Premier League London table