Can Arsenal record a victory at Chelsea on Sunday?

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger will be looking for his side to produce an improved performance against Chelsea on Sunday

Last season Arsenal made a blistering start to their Premier League campaign. However a dreadful run of results, including a 6-0 humiliation at Chelsea cost the Gunners dearly.

The defeat at the hands of Jose Mourinho’s side was without doubt one of the worst of Arsene Wenger’s managerial career at Arsenal.

This Sunday Arsenal once again travels to Chelsea looking to avenge that terrible result. The signs and omens are not good for the men from north London though.

Injuries

The Gunners have been plagued by injuries this season and injuries to key players too. The Gunners are currently without striker Olivier Giroud, winger Theo Walcott, midfielders Mikel Arteta and Aaron Ramsey and full-back Mathieu Debuchy.

All five of those would arguably be first choice players for Arsene Wenger’s team. Giroud’s starting place may be under threat from in-form Danny Welbeck, but he still has to be considered an important player for the Gunners.

A recent Guardian survey showed that Arsenal have had 889 injuries since 2002, which is the most in the Premier League. The next worst team for injuries is Manchester United, who have endured 791.

The cynical would suggest that Abou Diaby and Jack Wilshere probably account for 500 of those Arsenal injuries, as the pair seems to be perennially in the treatment room, although Wilshere has kept relatively fit this season.

Any team would struggle with the amount of injuries that Arsenal have at the moment and to expect them to go to Chelsea and get a victory may be slightly optimistic.

However, since suffering that 6-0 defeat at Chelsea last season the Gunners have suffered just one defeat in 14 top-flight games.

Mixed fortunes

Arsenal have enjoyed mixed fortunes so far this season. They have been beaten in the Champions League by Dortmund and Southampton knocked them out the Capital One Cup, but they remain unbeaten in the Premier League.

However, two wins and four draws is probably not what Gunners fans would have been looking for at the start of the campaign. Their latest top-flight result was a 1-1 draw against arch-rivals Tottenham in the north London derby.

Good

Chelsea have made a good start to the season, having won five out of their six Premier League games this season. The only game they have not won in the top-flight this season is at champions Manchester City, which is not a disgrace.

The Blues are the top scorers in the league with 19 goals and the summer additions of Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa have made major impacts on the team this season. Former-Gunners midfielder Fabregas has been outstanding at the heart of the Blues midfield.

Costa has continued his scoring form from his days in La Liga, scoring eight goals in six Premier League appearances this season. According to Chelsea Jose Mourinho, the Spanish striker is supposedly not fully-fit.

All I can say is heaven help the rest of the Premier League when the Brazilian-born striker is fully-fit. He is the clinical striker that Chelsea were crying out for last season and if he continues in his current goalscoring vein is likely to take the Premier League golden boot, which he is currently favourite to win.

Unbeaten

Chelsea and Arsenal are the only teams in the English top-flight who have not yet been beaten this season. If the Gunners that showed up last weekend turn up at Chelsea then that is likely to change on Sunday.

However, if the Arsenal that showed up in the 4-1 Champions League victory over Galatasaray turn up it may be a different story. The Turkish team were poor, but Arsenal showed far more urgency and pace in their attacking play.

Pace

The pace of Danny Welbeck, Alexis Sanchez and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is enough to frighten any defence and the Chelsea defence will have to remain solid to keep the trio quiet. The Gunners are unlikely to be as expansive at Stamford Bridge though, as they would leave themselves open at the back.

Welbeck will have gained tremendous confidence from his midweek hat-trick, the first ever senior treble for the England international. Hopefully he can ally his pace with composure in front of goal and develop into a top striker.

Betting

The home side are big favourites for victory in this one at odds of 4/6. The visitors are odds of 17/4 for a win and the draw is odds of 16/5.

On paper this looks like a sure-fire home win, but Arsenal cannot be completely written-off. Their Champions League victory will have raised morale and given their confidence a lift.

However, looking as a neutral it really is hard to see past a Chelsea win in this one. The Gunners will have to be at their best to take anything from their trip to Stamford Bridge, because Chelsea look like the team to beat this season and will be hard to stop.

Can Arsenal get a result at Chelsea on Sunday?