The Premier League gameweek 11 undercard builds up to the top fare at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon between Chelsea and Arsenal.
The Canon by Enzo Maresca’s side currently occupies the fourth position that puts the Gunners out of the Champions League places based on goal-difference and it was the hosts after all who seemed to have fired their firepower in midweek.
This is a side formed five years after its first champions league triumph in 2012/2013 season.Chelsea gave Armenian underdogs FC Noah the harshest of introductions to last 32 European football’s elite competition on Thursday evening throttling them for a stunning eight goals in the West End.
Joining them in the ranks of three wins from three are the five other teams still in the Conference League this season and Chelsea – who entertains their upcoming opponents on November 7 in a staggering 8-0 victory that certainly places them ahead of the pack on goal difference as they both pursue the elusive continental trophy that has yet to be bestowed on them.
From shock starts to Saturday snoozes, the Blues will need a dose of Ecuadorian encouragement not to perish at the hands of Manchester United’s Ruud van Nistelrooy at Old Trafford last weekend where a Bruno Fernandes penalty was only sandwiched by a Moises Caicedo thunderous strike.
Currently sitting fourth with 18 points out of a possible 30, the same position as Arsenal and Aston Villa the Blues could leap into third place for the weekend if Nottingham Forest fail to beat Newcastle in the third section of the fixture and Maresca has an undefeated home stretch of eight games in all competitions.
However, the Blues are still yet to secure a Premier League clean sheet at Stamford Bridge this season – the West Ham United shutout occurred in May – but Arsenal have yet to set the world alight in front of goal in the early of November period.
It didn't matter if it was at San Siro or St James' Park; Arsenal lost 1-0 and had little to no offensive motivation. On Wednesday night, a contentious penalty kick by Hakan Calhanoglu proved to be the difference after Newcastle United lost to an outstanding header by Alexander Isak.
Mikel Arteta's team tried an incredible 46 crosses at San Siro, but all of them went in vain as they fell to their first continental defeat of the 2024–25 season. In some respects, Arsenal's defeat to Inter Milan may be characterized as a game of noughts and crosses.
With the Gunners currently in fifth place in the Premier League after a three-game losing streak, and seven points behind leaders Liverpool, the Halloween period has been nothing short of a horror show for Arteta and company, who are also still in shock at the abrupt resignation of much-admired sports director Edu.
They have won their past six London derbies by an aggregate score of 22-3, though, and the Gunners haven't lost three consecutive away Premier League games without scoring since the 1994–95 season, when the majority of their players were not even born.
Arteta's side have gone five games without losing at the Blues' West London home, including a 5-0 thumping of Mauricio Pochettino's Chelsea in the second part of the previous season, despite being beaten to a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge.
Cole Palmer was obviously absent after not being chosen for the Conference League league phase when Chelsea head coach Maresca made the team's regular 11 changes in the middle of the week, but the Blues star is still dealing with the fallout from Lisandro Martinez's tackle last weekend.
While Omari Kellyman (hamstring) is out and Jadon Sancho is also questionable due to an injury and sickness, Maresca is holding out hope that Palmer, who was called up to the England team, will be ready to quickly return to the starting lineup this weekend.
Palmer has had 12 direct involvements this season, including seven of his own and five assists, more than any other Premier League player. However, Joao Felix and Christopher Nkunku both said that he should be replaced with braces in the devastation of Noah.
Speaking of key English midfield players that their managers are worried about, Declan Rice of Arsenal, who was a member of Chelsea's academy for seven years, is still doubtful for this crucial match due to a foot ailment that is thought to be a fractured toe.
As far as the Gunners' medical staff was concerned, it was one in, one out in the middle of the week. Martin Odegaard finally returned from an ankle injury as a late replacement, and Arteta shouldn't hesitate to start him again in the starting lineup given his team's lack of inventiveness.
