Arsenal and Chelsea both enter the first major London derby of the new Premier League season with six points, but they have reached that position in completely different ways. Arsenal have not conceded a goal; Chelsea have already scored seven and conceded five.
On September 6 at 21:00 IST, “Arsenal” will face “Chelsea” at “Emirates Stadium”. Arsenal have beaten “Coventry City” and “Aston Villa”, while Chelsea have opened their league campaign with victories over “Fulham” and “Brighton”.
The tactical contrast is already visible. Arsenal have relied on defensive control and patience, while Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea have played much more open matches. That creates a derby where Arsenal’s ability to control transitions could be more important than the overall possession numbers.
Teams Current Form
“Arsenal” form
Arsenal have started their title defence with two league victories and two clean sheets. After beating “Coventry City” 3-0, Mikel Arteta’s team won 1-0 away to “Aston Villa”. The Villa match was much tighter. Arsenal created only a small number of clear opportunities, but Bukayo Saka converted the decisive chance in the second half and the defensive structure protected the lead.
David Raya has therefore started the league season without conceding. The current defensive unit of Ben White, Cristhian Mosquera, Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori has provided stability while William Saliba and Jurrien Timber have been unavailable.
Declan Rice and Myles Lewis-Skelly have continued in central midfield, with Martin Odegaard ahead of them. Bruno Guimaraes and Ezri Konsa both made their Arsenal debuts from the bench against Villa, increasing Arteta’s options without forcing an immediate change to the starting structure.
The main attacking reference remains the right side. Saka has scored in both league matches, while Christos Tzolis offers a more direct dribbling threat from the opposite flank. Kai Havertz continues to operate centrally.
“Chelsea” form
Chelsea have also taken six points from their opening two Premier League matches, but their route has been far less controlled.
Xabi Alonso’s team beat “Fulham” 3-2 before defeating “Brighton” 4-3 at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea also beat “Luton Town” 2-0 in the League Cup between those league fixtures.
The Brighton match demonstrated both the potential and the weakness of the current team. Romeo Lavia, Pedro Neto and Joao Pedro helped Chelsea establish a 3-0 lead, but Brighton recovered to make the game competitive before Cole Palmer scored the decisive fourth goal.
Emiliano Martinez made his Chelsea debut in goal, while Wesley Fofana, Maxence Lacroix and Levi Colwill formed the back three. Morgan Rogers and Palmer supported Joao Pedro in attack.
Chelsea’s attacking output is strong: they have scored seven goals in two Premier League matches. The defensive side is much less convincing, with five league goals already conceded.
The midfield has also changed again after Enzo Fernandez completed a deadline-day transfer to Manchester City. He did not start against Brighton, so that departure does not force a change to the previous competitive XI, but it reduces Alonso’s options in the centre.
Probable Lineups
“Arsenal” lineup
4-2-3-1: David Raya, Ben White, Cristhian Mosquera, Gabriel Magalhaes, Riccardo Calafiori, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Christos Tzolis, Kai Havertz.
“Chelsea” lineup
3-4-2-1: Emiliano Martinez, Wesley Fofana, Maxence Lacroix, Levi Colwill, Pedro Neto, Malo Gusto, Romeo Lavia, Jorrel Hato, Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, Joao Pedro.
Who will not play
For “Arsenal”, William Saliba and Jurrien Timber missed the victory against Aston Villa and remain fitness concerns. Neither has been confirmed back into the starting group at the time of this forecast.
Bruno Guimaraes is available. He recovered sufficiently to make his Arsenal debut from the bench against Aston Villa.
Ezri Konsa is also available after making his Arsenal debut as a substitute against his former club.
There are no confirmed Arsenal suspensions for this fixture.
For “Chelsea”, no player from the starting XI used against Brighton has been officially ruled out of the Arsenal match at the time of this forecast.
Moises Caicedo returned to the matchday squad against Brighton and was available from the bench.
Jordan Henderson has been working toward full match readiness following the injury sustained during the World Cup, but he was not part of the starting XI against Brighton and does not affect the potential lineup above.
There are no confirmed Chelsea suspensions for this fixture.
The most accurate information on the final starting lineups will be available immediately before the meeting.
Statistics for the Last 5 Matches
“Arsenal”
31.08.26, EPL: Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal
21.08.26, EPL: Arsenal 3-0 Coventry City
16.08.26, FA Community Shield: Arsenal 3-0 Manchester City
12.08.26, Friendly: Arsenal 1-1 Como
09.08.26, Friendly: Arsenal 2-3 Borussia Dortmund
In the last five competitive and friendly matches, “Arsenal” have 3 wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat. The team scored 10 goals and conceded 4.
“Chelsea”
30.08.26, EPL: Chelsea 4-3 Brighton
27.08.26, EFL Cup: Chelsea 2-0 Luton Town
24.08.26, EPL: Fulham 2-3 Chelsea
15.08.26, Friendly: Chelsea 3-1 Real Sociedad
09.08.26, Friendly: Johor Darul Ta'zim 3-3 Chelsea
In the last five competitive and friendly matches, “Chelsea” have 4 wins and 1 draw. The team scored 15 goals and conceded 9.
Head-to-Head Statistics
01.03.26, EPL: Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea
03.02.26, EFL Cup: Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea
14.01.26, EFL Cup: Chelsea 2-3 Arsenal
30.11.25, EPL: Chelsea 1-1 Arsenal
16.03.25, EPL: Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea\
In the last five competitive head-to-head matches, “Arsenal” have 4 wins and 1 match ended in a draw. Chelsea have no wins in this sequence. Arsenal scored 8 goals and Chelsea scored 4.
Main prediction for the “Arsenal” - “Chelsea” game
Arsenal L – Chelsea: forecast on event 6 September 2026
Arsenal win
Chelsea’s attacking form makes this a more difficult match than Arsenal’s first two league fixtures. Palmer, Rogers and Joao Pedro can attack between the lines, while Neto provides speed from a deeper wide position.
The decisive difference is defensive control. Arsenal have not conceded in either Premier League match, while Chelsea have already allowed five goals. Brighton demonstrated that Alonso’s side can lose control quickly once the opponent breaks the first pressure.
Arsenal also have an excellent recent record in this fixture, winning four of the last five competitive meetings. Home advantage and the more stable defensive structure give Arteta’s team the stronger match-result profile.
For
Additional predictions
Arsenal over 1.5 team goals is the secondary betting direction.
Chelsea conceded twice against Fulham and three times against Brighton. Arsenal have already scored three against Coventry and have Saka in scoring form.
Chelsea’s willingness to attack should also create more space than Villa offered Arsenal in the previous round. If the match becomes stretched, Saka and Tzolis can attack the spaces outside Chelsea’s back three.
