The Premier League is back, and after a thrilling first week, we are set to have our first London Derby of the season in Saturday’s primetime match. Arsenal and Chelsea have had a pretty fierce rivalry over the last decade, but there will be a new face on the sidelines for each team. Unai Emery will be looking to pick up a win that would immediately endear him to Gunners supporters, while Maurizio Sarri is aiming to keep Blues fans and Roman Abramovich content with three points here.
Don't miss the English Premier League action from Stamford Bridge in London at 12:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 18, 2018. Catch every moment of the match live on NBC.
English Premier League Betting at BookMaker.eu
Arsenal +331
Chelsea -126
Draw +288
Over/Under 2.5 and 3
Odds Analysis
Arsenal and Chelsea are each looking to get off to a good start in hopes of making it back to the Champions League. Both clubs missed out on qualification for the prestigious competition last year, and they are each stuck in the Europa League for at least one year.
The Gunners had the fortune of starting their season at home, but they were pitted against reigning Premier League champions Manchester City. The Citizens wasted little time imposing their will on Arsenal, with Raheem Sterling scoring early on to set the tone for the rest of the game. It wasn’t a great performance from Arsenal’s back line, but very few teams can stand up to the Manchester City attack.
Chelsea got off to a flying start on the road in their opener. The Blues were solid on defense in a win over Huddersfield Town. They allowed Huddersfield to put just one shot on net, and the home side had just six total shots throughout the match. Chelsea fared much better with N’Golo Kante opening the scoring in the 34th minute, Jorginho scoring a cheeky penalty in the 45th minute, and Pedro tallying in the 80th minute. It was an easy 3-0 win for the Blues.
Key Injuries
Things have gotten worse for Arsenal on the injury front. The Gunners lost center back Laurent Koscielny to an injury in the Europa League last year, and they are not going to get him back until November or December. New additions Sead Kolasinac and Ainsley Maitland-Niles are going to be out for a substantial period of time as well, with October seen as the earliest time for either player to return. Additionally, reserve Carl Jenkinson picked up a serious right ankle sprain and will be sidelined for at least six weeks. The good news for the club is that both Nacho Monreal and Danny Welbeck will return to action.
Chelsea has two players that will miss significant amounts of time in Isaiah Brown and Marco van Ginkel. Each player went down with a torn ACL and the return date for both players is unknown at the moment. The Blues are hoping that Gary Cahill and former Arsenal man Cesc Fabregas will be available for selection. Fabregas is doubtful with a knee injury, while Cahill is considered a game-time decision.
Player to Watch
Center back Sokratis Papastathopoulos was one of Arsenal’s big additions this offseason. Sokratis played about as well as you could expect in the Gunners’ debut against Manchester City, but he will certainly be tested in this match. With multiple injuries to Arsenal’s back line, he is being asked to be the glue that holds it all together for the time being.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
It’s going to take a little longer for Emery and company to get going. Arsenal are being thrown out of the frying pan and into the fryer with such a tough first two matches, and the club is still adjusting. Chelsea will take advantage in a win.
English Premier League Odds: Chelsea 2, Arsenal 1
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