Chelsea vs Arsenal Predicted Lineups, Odds, Preview & Prediction

Maybe not the most fierce London derby but usually the London derby with the largest stakes; and now the stakes are as big as they have been in years, with Arsenal sitting top of the Premier League and looking like the clear favourites to lift their first league title in 21 years, and no team will be more motivated to deny them that than Enzo Maresca’s resurgent Chelsea side. As well as the Premier League title, this game is about bragging rights for the title of London’s biggest club, with Arsenal claiming to be the legacy London club with the largest fanbase while Chelsea fans claim they’re far more successful on the largest stages, especially over the last 20 years and are London’s only Champions League winning club – it will be pure joy for the winner and misery for the losers this weekend and that is what will make it must see TV.

Arsenal are in imperious form, having won 6 of their last 7 in the league and fresh off a demolition of Spurs and a massive Champions League victory over Bayern Munich. However, with the memory of a slight wobble against Sunderland earlier in the month still lingering, they will look to silence any talks of the pressure of leading this title race being too much for a team people thought of as mentally fragile. Chelsea are in fine form themselves winning 5 of their last 6 league games and refuse to be outdone on the European stage, thrashing Barcelona 3-0 on Tuesday. This should be an absolutely thrilling game that has it all, rivalry, history, stakes, bragging rights, fascinating tactical and individual battles and beside all that, just a great game between two of Europe’s best teams at this minute that approach the game a little differently – what more can we want from a Super Sunday 4:30pm kick-off?

• As 1st and 2nd place in the league meet, with both teams in incredible form, does Arsenal’s defense or Chelsea’s attack prove decisive?
• Can Arsenal make a definitive statement about who is winning the league this season or can Chelsea show they’re true contenders?
• Bet Builder Suggestion: Arsenal to Win + Both Teams to Score: 13/5

Find out all of that and much more in our preview of Chelsea vs Arsenal. We have a match preview, predicted lineups, team and injury news, live odds, our score prediction and more for this GW13 matchup.

Match Details:

Fixture: Chelsea vs Arsenal

Stadium: Stamford Bridge

Date: Sunday 29th November

Kick-off: 4:30pm GMT

Match Betting Odds:

Chelsea to Win: 23/10

Draw: 9/4

Arsenal to Win: 11/10

Both Teams to Score Odds: 

Yes: 7/10 (Great value and favourite bet on Betrino/Betway)

No: 11/10 (Great value on Betrino/Betway)

Player to Score Odds:

Bukayo Saka: 9/4

Joao Pedro: 13/5

Leandro Trossard: 10/3

Pedro Neto: 15/4

Player to Score or Assist Odds:

Bukayo Saka: 21/20

Eberechi Eze: 6/4

Joao Pedro: 8/5

Pedro Neto: 2/1

Bet Builder Suggestion:

Arsenal to Win + Both Teams to Score: 13/5

 

Premier League Head-to-Head Record:

Despite Chelsea having been the far more successful side in terms on trophies since Arsenal won their last league title in 2004, Arsenal have been quite dominant in this head-to-head in recent years, certainly since Arteta began getting a tune out of the team he was building at a high level. Arsenal have won 3 of the last 5 meetings between these two teams with the other 2 games being draws; Chelsea’s last victory in this fixture was all the way back in 2021 so this has been quite a one sided rivalry in terms of head-to-head matchups. This game also almost always produces goals even as Arteta has become a more defensively minded coach, with 16 goals across the last 5 meetings between these two including two games producing 4 goals and one producing 5 goals.

Chelsea Arsenal Recent Premier League Results

16/03/25 - Arsenal 1-0

10/11/24 - Chelsea 1-1 Arsenal

23/04/24 - Arsenal 5-0 Chelsea

21/10/23 - Chelsea 2-2 Arsenal

02/05/23 - Arsenal 3-1 Chelsea

 

Lineups will be updated throughout the week in live time as and when injury and lineup news is announced.

To head back to our main predicted lineups hub, click here.

 

Chelsea Predicted Lineup:

Chelsea Team News:

Maresca speaking on Monday to the media revealed “Yes, Cole is wearing a [protective] boot. We don’t know when he will be back but for sure it will be soon. He’s already on the pitch, he’s already touching the ball and the feeling [for him] is good… I don’t think he will be available for these two (Barcelona and Arsenal) games, but he is doing well”. Positive to see Palmer back on grass and training with the ball already and Maresca has been discussing the injury as if Palmer will return soon. A mid December return seems likeliest.

Chelsea Players to Watch:

Palmer: Expected back in December. Training on grass again in a protective boot.

Caicedo: Rested as precaution against Burnley travelling back from South America. Will start against Arsenal.

Lavia: Expected back in December.

Garnacho: Would likely start over Gittens against Arsenal.

Arsenal Predicted Lineup:

Arsenal Team News:

Calafiori while being an injury concern was able to start against Tottenham on Sunday and Arteta opted to keep him at left-back. Arteta did go with the choice I suspected he could despite Mosquera’s early season performances and that was to bring in Hincapie to maintain having one left footed CB in the CB pairing. Hincapie will likely keep that LCB role until Gabriel returns and so will start against Chelsea.

Trossard went off in the first half of Arsenal’s match with Bayern Munich on Wednesday. Arteta speaking on it stated “With Leo we don’t know. He said he felt something. We didn’t want to take any risks”, so while there could be good news on Trossard and it likely is not long term, Sunday could be too soon / too risky.

Gyokeres (hamstring) is set for scans in the coming days and could be an available for Sunday. Arteta speaking on Gyokeres said “Really good, both of them. In the next few days, they’re going to have a repeat scan to see how everything is and where we can push them for the weekend”, so there is hope but I expect Arteta to opt to go with Merino as the starting striker given Arsenal’s form with him in that role and Gyokeres being a close call.

Mikel Arteta has now confirmed in his Friday press conference that Gabriel is set to be sidelined multiple weeks, although he did state a clearer timeline for his return would be provided after further scans. Arteta stated “Gabi is unfortunately picked up an injury with the national team. He will be out for weeks. We need to have another scan next Wednesday. We will have the timeline much more clearly than we have at the moment”. Mosquera should replace Gabriel in the starting lineup, although if Arteta does prefer to have a left-footed CB in the starting lineup then Hincapie likely plays CB and Lewis-Skelly would start at LB.

The original timeline that David Ornstein presented was 1-2 months and Arteta is known to be coy or let’s say tell white lies in his press conferences so him saying weeks could mean 6-7 weeks which would fit Ornstein’s timeline.

Speaking on Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus and Noni Madueke Arteta stated that “We put a lot of energy in the international break with the medical staff to try to bring them back as quickly as possible. Tomorrow we have another training session to see how they are feeling, if this game is too close or they can have a contribution in the game… I’m hopeful we can make a step tomorrow. But certainly? I cannot tell you”. This mostly sounds like these players are all at different stages of recovery and are all nearing returns to full team training and the matchday squad, but all are likelier to be a part of the squad in GW13 rather than this weekend.

Odegaard is further away than his counterparts. The Norwegian national team coach confirmed Odegaard is “still some distance away” from a return. He said “It is steady. It is going in a steady direction, but he is some distance away. He will fly in [to Oslo] after his rehab on Thursday. Then he will continue his rehab with us and will be with us from Thursday afternoon. I don’t know when the flight leaves. But he will be with us until Milan”.

Havertz is also further away than the others from returning to training. He is still not training with the team and remains several weeks away from returning. Arteta stated to the media “Let’s see how he absorbs the load first when he starts to train with us and when he’s done that, obviously we’re going to have to be, especially in the first few weeks, keep an eye on him to manage the amount of minutes and when we play him”.

Arsenal Players to Watch:

Trossard: Went off injured in the first half against Bayern Munich. Not long term but likely won’t start Sunday.

Gabriel: Arteta confirmed he is out for multiple weeks. Further scans will provide a clearer timeline.

Calafiori: Will continue to start at LB.

Gyokeres: Could be fit and available for this weekend.

Madueke: Made his return off the bench against Spurs

Martinelli: Unused sub against Spurs.

Odegaard: Norway NT coach confirms he is weeks away from a return.

Havertz: Also remains several weeks away from a return to team training let alone the pitch.

Merino: Will start as the striker until Gyokeres returns.

Chelsea vs Arsenal Preview & Predicted Score:

 

Score Prediction: Chelsea 2-2 Arsenal