Game Week 29 Predictions: Arsenal to beat Chelsea at the Emirates

Arsenal hosts Chelsea at the Emirates in a crucial Premier League clash. The Gunners aim to solidify third place, while Chelsea fights for a top-four.

Arsenal's title charge may be over but thier London pride will be on the line when Chelsea visits on Sunday, who will rise to the occasion? (Photo credit: Sky Sports)

 Arsenal vs Chelsea

Emirates Stadium

2:30pm

Arsenal’s Premier League title charge is over; fifteen points behind Liverpool at this stage of the season is not worth chasing. Their next worry should be giving the Reds a guard of honour at Anfield.

Chelsea has just one job: try their best to finish fourth and fifth on the log. The advancement of Arsenal and Aston Villa into the last eight of the Champions League bodes well for the Premier League, and fifth place might just be enough for a UCL football next season.

Chelsea is the clear favourite for the Europa Conference League; the Blues beat Copenhagen home and away to advance to the last eight, and their next opponent is Legia Warsaw; they should have enough to dispatch the Polish side.

For Arsenal, their reward for beating PSV Eindhoven the way they did is a two-legged quarter-final clash against reigning and record holders Real Madrid. It’s a tough ask considering the fact that the Gunners are without Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz, but they will get their chance to fail.

One of the major albatrosses of Arsenal this season is settling for draws. The Gunners have drawn too many games, especially from winning positions, and if they had turned three of those into wins, they would still be in the title race; they can’t afford another stalemate against Chelsea.

Chelsea will approach this game looking for a point; it won’t hurt much, as Manchester City and Brighton failed to see the back of each other on Saturday. It will only mean the Blues want to stick to fourth and not fight for the rights to be in the race for third.

Arsenal, on the other hand, must win, not for the title charge, but to preserve their self-respect, as Nottingham Forest is breathing down their necks in third. Forest beat Ipswich 4-2 on Saturday to cut Arsenal’s advantage to just one point; Arsenal must beat Chelsea to restore the four-point cushion.

Arsenal have Gabriel Martinelli back and ready to start after getting minutes in their last two draws to Manchester United and PSV; this would mean that Mikel Merino will go to the bench as Ethan Nwaneri and Leandro Trossard take the flanks.

For the Blues, Pedro Neto is expected to continue in the false 9 role; Jadon Sancho and Christopher Nkunku are expected to start; Romeo Lavia is available to add grit to the midfield, but is he fully fit to start? Watch out for the midfield battle: Thomas Partey and Declan Rice up against Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandes. This would excite the neutrals.

Verdict: Arsenal to win.