Chelsea vs Arsenal: Match prediction, possible XIs and team news ahead of London Derby showdown
By William Muthama, November 29, 2025Football lovers are in for a mouth-watering clash this Sunday at 7:30 pm as London rivals Chelsea and Arsenal lock horns at Stamford Bridge.
Arsenal sit at the top of the Premier League table with 29 points, while Chelsea chase in second place on 23 points, making this showdown crucial for the title race.
Both teams arrive in strong form, with the Gunners dominating domestically and Chelsea buoyed by a commanding European performance midweek.
Team news and form
Chelsea head into the game after a 3-0 victory over Barcelona in the Champions League, marking five wins in their last six matches across all competitions.
Despite this resurgence, the Blues have struggled for consistency at home, earning only ten points from 23 league games at Stamford Bridge, the second-lowest in the division.
Arsenal, meanwhile, have been flying, following a 4-1 win over Tottenham with a landmark victory against Bayern Munich.
Mikel Arteta’s side has lost just three of their last 40 London derbies, putting them in prime position to continue their title push.
Head-to-head record
Chelsea have won just one of their last 11 Premier League meetings with Arsenal, with three draws and seven losses since a 2-0 victory at the Emirates in August 2021.
Arsenal have been unbeaten in their last six visits to Stamford Bridge, winning three and drawing three, reversing a poor run where they had lost six of seven league trips between 2013 and 2018.
Predicted line-ups
Chelsea: Sanchez; James, Adarabioyo, Chalobah, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Estevao, Pedro, Neto; Delap
Arsenal: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Hincapie, Calafiori; Eze, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Merino, Martinelli
Players to watch and absentees
Chelsea’s Pedro Neto has been influential recently, while Cole Palmer is available after recovering from injury, though a bench role is expected.
Arsenal will be boosted by Martin Ødegaard’s return, but defender Gabriel remains sidelined.
Key stats
Chelsea have kept eight clean sheets in their last 13 home league games and have opened the scoring in each of their last seven Premier League fixtures.
Arsenal have conceded no more than once in 13 of their last 14 league matches and have scored two or more goals in six of their last six competitive games.
The last six Premier League London derbies played by Arsenal away have averaged 3.7 goals, reflecting the high-scoring potential of this encounter.
Prediction
Both teams are coming off strong midweek European wins, making this a tightly contested match.
Arsenal’s dominance in London derbies and recent away form suggest they will be hard to beat, while Chelsea’s attacking threats at home make a win difficult to predict. Our forecast sees the match ending in a 1-1 draw.