Sunday 5th October 14.05
Arguably the biggest game of the weekend takes place on Sunday in West London, when Arsenal make the trip down from the north of the capital to take on table-toppers Chelsea.
These two remain the Premier League’s only two unbeaten teams this season, although fans of the Blues (W5, D1) will be happier than their red counterparts (W2, D4).
Mourinho’s men have been the strongest side on display so far, and their goal difference of +12 highlights their dominance. Much of the plaudits will go to eight-goal hero Diego Costa, who apparently isn’t even training at the moment due to an ongoing hamstring problem. That being said, the Boys from the Bridge have already had an incredible nine different goalscorers in their six games so far – proving they’re far from being a one-man team.
Meanwhile Arsene Wenger’s Gooners may be sitting pretty in fourth place, but the reality is that they’ve only managed to win two of their six league games this campaign – cause for concern. And with Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal’s joint top goalscorer with two) and Mikel Arteta both out injured, it’s fair to say that that headache may be about to get worse.
It could well be a tight game, and Arsenal are likely to employ a tight five in midfield – with Danny Welbeck ploughing a lonely furrow up front. They will attempt to launch counter attacks quicker than Jackie Chan in his pomp, but it might not be enough…
Expect Chelsea to dominate possession and eventually – and we could be talking deep into the second half – unlock the door, thanks to the creativity of messrs Fabregas, Hazard, Oscar et al. So we quite like the look of the ‘Draw/Chelsea Double Result’ at 10/3. Get the latest odds.
If you fancy the Gunners to nick one on the break then Alexis Sanchez – who should start in place of Ramsey – is the likeliest candidate and you can back him to score anytime from 23/10. Indeed, an ‘Alexis Sanchez to score anytime/Chelsea to win’ reverse wincast is a lip-smacking 11/1 at William Hill.
Speaking of Fabregas, you may remember his successful stint at the Emirates Stadium under the tutelage of Wenger. Well, apparently the Spanish schemer and the Gallic gaffer haven’t spoken since Fabregas reneged on a ‘verbal agreement’ to rejoin Arsenal should he ever return to English football. These kinds of headlines write themselves, so back him to score first (7/1) or anytime (2/1) to rub more salt into the wounds. Try Bet365 for the sign up bonus.
If the Spaniard doesn’t tickle your fancy there’s still plenty of value to be found in this Chelsea team. While Costa’s net-busting exploits have priced him out of the market (10/3 first goalscorer), you can still pick up the creative talents of Eden Hazard (6/1) and Oscar (8/1) to be the ones to break the deadlock.
If you’re a history buff then you’ll remember the corresponding fixture from the 2013/14 season like it was yesterday. It was back in March, and Chelsea romped home 6-0 at the Bridge. Fancy a repeat? You’re looking at 150/1 friend.
And to continue the walk down memory lane…can you remember in 2011 when Arsenal triumphed 5-3 on Chelsea’s own turf? The same scoreline here returns a cool 500/1!