Prediction: Chelsea vs Arsenal

Premier League leaders Chelsea will be hoping to restore a five-point cushion at the top of the standings when they host Arsenal, with Jose Mourinho unbeaten in 11 matches against Arsene Wenger. And while the Frenchman is obviously determined to break the curse, his side clearly face a tough task at Stamford Bridge even if they have yet to lose a league game this term.

Even if they eventually missed out on the league title by four points last season, Chelsea proved they are by far the best side in England when it comes to performances and results in high-profile games. The Blues did not lose a single game against a top 4 team last term, with double wins over Manchester City and Liverpool as well as the 6-0 home victory against Arsenal the perfect proof. And seeing as how the team are much stronger this season following the arrival of Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas and Thibaut Courtois, the impressive run looks likely to continue. The new players have slotted straight into the starting line-up without any problems, with Diego Costa especially impressive in spite of his injury problems. After failing to kill off the game against Manchester City at Etihad, Jose Mourinho’s charges have recorded successive victories over Bolton, Aston Villa and Sporting Lisbon, which is enough to suggest they go into the Arsenal clash full of confidence, with the pressure clearly on their opponents. Jose Mourinho has suggested that Diego Costa will be fit to start, although Didier Drogba and Ramires are not yet ready to return.

Just like their local rivals, Arsenal did well to reinforce the squad over the summer, and the likes of Chambers, Sanchez and Welbeck have already showed they will be great signings for the club. However, with quite a few important players sidelined through injury and others played out of position, the Gunners have struggled for consistency in the opening exchanges, failing to record a win in any of the four high-profile matches since the Community Shield triumph over Manchester City. Arsenal did manage to outplay the Citizens in the league clash for large period of the game, but they then switched off, allowing the Premier League holders to level the score and create few more chances to win the game. It is this inability to stay focused for full ninety minutes that is likely to cost the Gunners dearly when facing Chelsea, a team that rarely make mistakes in these kinds of matches. The likes of Mikel Arteta and especially Aaron Ramsey will be sorely missed at Stamford Bridge, but Jack Wilshere should start and Nacho Monreal could return. Mathieu Debuchy, Olivier Giroud and Abou Diaby are all out injured.

Conclusion

Chelsea won all three matches against top 4 sides last season, hammering Arsenal 6-0, and given that they are in much better shape this time out, another comfortable triumph appears on the cards. The Gunners are still struggling for form and have too many important missings at the moment.

Verdict: Home win Chelsea (1)

Best Odds: 7/10

Bookmaker: William Hill