Arsenal vs Chelsea: Gunners face stern test against unbeaten Blues

Arsenal and Chelsea will renew their London rivalry on Sunday, September 6, 2026, when the two unbeaten Premier League sides meet at the Emirates Stadium in what promises to be one of Gameweek Three’s biggest fixtures.

Both clubs have made perfect starts to the 2026-27 campaign, meaning one of those records will disappear when Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal host Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea.

Arsenal arrive in a confident mood after edging Aston Villa 1-0 on August 31, 2026. The result maintained their perfect start and extended their run to three victories in all competitions, with the Gunners yet to concede a goal.

However, their impressive results have been accompanied by frustration over their transfer business. Arsenal allowed several attacking players to leave, including Gabriel Jesus, Ethan Nwaneri and Gabriel Martinelli, but failed to bring in a replacement before the transfer window closed.

The north London club were unable to persuade Julian Alvarez to change his plans, while they also stopped short of completing a move for Malick Fofana.

Despite those concerns, Arsenal have collected three wins, scored seven goals and recorded three successive clean sheets. They will now attempt to maintain that momentum against a Chelsea side that has been considerably more explosive in front of goal.

Arsenal also have an impressive record in London derbies. The Gunners have gone 16 consecutive Premier League matches against fellow London clubs without defeat, winning 12 and drawing four.

Chelsea, meanwhile, have relied heavily on their attacking firepower during the opening weeks of the season. Alonso’s team have already found the net 12 times in their first two league matches, the highest tally in the division at this stage.

Their latest outing produced a seven-goal thriller against Brighton & Hove Albion. Chelsea established a 3-0 advantage before Brighton fought back to make it 3-2. The Blues then restored their two-goal cushion and ultimately survived a late scare to secure a 4-3 victory.

With only goal difference separating the sides, Chelsea could make history by winning their opening four matches in all competitions for the first time since the 2016-17 season, when Antonio Conte guided them to the Premier League title.

Their ability to strike early has also been notable. Chelsea scored within the opening four minutes in each of their first two league matches, making them only the second team in Premier League history to achieve that feat, after Bolton Wanderers in 2002-03.

Despite Chelsea’s strong beginning, recent meetings have favoured Arsenal. The Gunners have beaten the Blues in their last three encounters and have not lost to their London rivals since August 2021.

Arsenal receive injury boost

Arsenal’s victory over Aston Villa was not entirely positive, with Declan Rice and Cristhian Mosquera both forced off during the contest.

Mosquera subsequently missed Thursday’s training session, while Bruno Guimaraes was also absent. The defensive issue is understood to be minor, however, and Ezri Konsa could be handed his full Arsenal debut if Mosquera is unavailable.

Rice has been seen working on the training pitches during the week and is expected to recover in time for the derby.

Jurrien Timber has also returned to full training following a groin problem, although William Saliba remains sidelined with a back injury and is expected to be unavailable for several more weeks.

Chelsea dealing with midfield concerns

Chelsea have their own selection problems heading into the encounter.

Moises Caicedo picked up an aggravation of an existing injury during the victory over Brighton and remains doubtful for the trip to the Emirates.

The situation became more complicated after Chelsea’s £125 million sale of Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City, leaving Alonso with fewer established midfield options.

Lamine Camara was expected to make his Chelsea debut in this fixture, but Monaco unexpectedly ended negotiations over his transfer. Malo Gusto and Romeo Lavia could therefore be required to provide additional midfield cover.

Jordan Henderson is unavailable because of a wrist problem, while Marco Palestra is also ruled out.

Cole Palmer, meanwhile, could reach an important personal landmark. The Chelsea star is just one goal away from scoring his 50th Premier League goal for the club and could reach the milestone during his 99th appearance.

Possible Arsenal XI

Raya; White, Konsa, Gabriel, Calafiori; Lewis-Skelly, Rice; Saka, Odegaard, Tzolis; Havertz.

Possible Chelsea XI

Martinez; Lacroix, Colwill, Fofana; James, Gusto, Lavia, Hato; Rogers, Palmer; Pedro.

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