ARSENAL look to be in must-win territory as they bid to keep their title challenge alive when they face struggling London rivals Chelsea on Tuesday night.
Arsenal vs Chelsea odds
Here are the latest match odds for Arsenal vs Chelsea:
Arsenal vs Chelsea betting preview
At lunchtime on Easter Sunday, Arsenal held a five-point lead over Manchester City in the Premier League title race.
With the teams having played the same number of games, the Gunners knew they could even afford to lose the so-called title decider at the Etihad a few weeks later.
They duly did but it has been the other results since Easter which appear to have torpedoed their unexpected title challenge.
Draws with Liverpool, West Ham and Southampton mean they head into this game knowing only a win will be good enough if they are to put any pressure on City, who now have the destination of the trophy firmly in their own hands. For the record, Arsenal are a point behind City having played a game more.
Perhaps the biggest worry is a defence which has conceded 11 goals in the last four games, William Saliba being sorely missed. Rob Holding has unsurprisingly come in for criticism – few felt he was ever good enough to be playing in a team of title contenders and so it has proved.
Sadly for Gunners fans, Saliba won’t play here – indeed, there are reports he will miss the rest of the campaign. Meanwhile, Leandro Trossard is pushing for a start.
Second-guessing the Chelsea team is a tough task these days. Mason Mount and Reece James are definitely out but Kalidou Koulibaly and Kai Havertz could feature after recent injuries.
Chelsea’s issue has been scoring – they’ve netted a paltry three goals in their last eight matches. – but perhaps facing a leaky defence such as Arsenal’s will aid them.
With the likes of Havertz, Joao Felix and ex-Arsenal star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in their squad, there’s clearly potential for them to fire which brings in the possibility of another high-scoring game at the Emirates.
Ten of Arsenal’s 12 home Premier League wins this season have seen the opposition score and backing that option has been a goldmine for punters.
It certainly has potential again here while a delve into the sub-markets also appeals. For our best bets, keep on reading…
Best betting offers for Arsenal vs Chelsea
Our top rated football bookmakers:
Arsenal vs Chelsea key stats
- Arsenal come into this game without a win in their last four. They have conceded 11 goals in those matches.
- Chelsea are without a win in their last eight in all competitions. They have scored only three times during that run.
- As a manager, Mikel Arteta has won five of his last seven meetings with Chelsea.
- Chelsea have played 16 games against teams currently in the top half of the Premier League and have won only one, losing nine.
- Over 2.5 goals has landed in 88% of Arsenal’s home games this season.
Arsenal vs Chelsea best bets
Arsenal to win and both teams to score
This is trend that is hard for punters to ignore – of Arsenal’s 12 home Premier League wins this season, 10 have been via this method.
OK, the worry here is Chelsea’s awful goalscoring record but there is talent in their forward line and Arsenal’s defence has been ropey of late, conceding 11 times in the last four games.
The hosts desperately need a result and while backing them to win the game at 13/20 doesn’t make great appeal, 23/10 about them doing so whilst conceding looks much more tempting.
Granit Xhaka to score at anytime
Xhaka has enjoyed his more expansive, attacking role this season and has rewarded the faith placed in him by Mikel Arteta with seven goals across all competitions – his best scoring season in an Arsenal shirt.
Six of those goals have come at the Emirates where the Gunners have been all about attacking football, never overly worried about conceding, confident in the knowledge that they are full of goals.
With Thomas Partey tucked in behind, Xhaka should again push on from midfield here and trouble the visitors’ defence with his runs and shooting ability.
At a tasty price, he looks worth a try.
Bukayo Saka over 1.5 tackles
Saka has been one of the stars of the season and Arsenal fans will tell you that’s not all about his dazzling attacking play.
He’s a worker too and happy to track back to help the team, something which has been reflected in his tackle numbers.
The England international has landed this bet in nine of his last 12 starts which immediately makes the price of 19/20 about a repeat look nice.
It’s hard to know exactly who he’ll be up against given the constant team changes in Chelsea’s massive squad but it seems likely Saka will need to keep an eye on the forward runs of Ben Chilwell which should produce a tackle or, hopefully, two.
How to watch Arsenal vs Chelsea
- Location: Emirates Stadium, London, England.
- Time: Tuesday, May 2, 20:00 BST
- Where to watch: Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League
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