Arsenal v Chelsea: Line-ups, stats and preview

Arsenal v Chelsea match preview

Chelsea will move three points behind second-placed Arsenal if they beat the Gunners for the first time in seven attempts when the teams meet at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

The Blues, who last won the fixture with a 2-0 away victory in August 2021, began the weekend two points above Manchester City and Newcastle and three clear of Brighton & Hove Albion.

“We have two targets,” explained manager Enzo Maresca, whose side sealed their place in the Conference League quarter-finals by beating Copenhagen 1-0 at Stamford Bridge on Thursday, going through 3-1 on aggregate.

“Finish [in the] top four or five [to qualify] for the Champions League… and the other is [winning] the Conference League.

“This club is used to playing in finals and fighting for titles, so if we can give the fans and club this chance again then I think it’s important for us.”

In the England squad. 🦁 pic.twitter.com/t6urSXFBXe

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) March 14, 2025

With 10 games of their league season remaining, Arsenal’s prospects of overtaking leaders Liverpool are vanishingly slim after dropping points for a third successive match with a 1-1 draw at Manchester United last Sunday.

The Reds are 15 points clear with a 14-goal superiority over their nearest rivals, who completed a 9-3 aggregate win at home to PSV on Tuesday to set up a Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid.

“We’re going to carry on fighting to try to win every game, which is the only thing that we can do at the moment because it certainly doesn’t depend on us,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said before his side drew the second leg 2-2.

Arsenal had been unbeaten at home in the league this season before suffering a surprise 1-0 defeat to West Ham on February 22.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Myles Lewis-Skelly 💫 pic.twitter.com/I1q0GBs7WW

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) March 14, 2025

Arsenal v Chelsea team news

Robert Sanchez will replace Filip Jorgensen in goal as part of a “flexible” approach by Chelsea, Maresca said on Friday. The Italian is hopeful that forwards Noni Madueke and Nicolas Jackson will return on April 3 at home to Tottenham.

Defender Wesley Fofana and midfielder Romeo Lavia are also options, having not featured against Copenhagen because they are not registered for the Conference League.

Raheem Sterling set up both of Arsenal’s goals at home to PSV but the on-loan forward will not play against his parent club.

Playmaker Bukayo Saka is making good progress on his return from a hamstring injury, while striker Kai Havertz remains out.

Arteta says he will manage attacker Gabriel Martinelli’s minutes as the Brazil attacker continues his comeback from injury.

Completing the task 🤝

📺 Enjoy the highlights of our second leg against PSV 👇 pic.twitter.com/Dpy0ubbH70

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) March 13, 2025

Arsenal v Chelsea expected line-ups

Arsenal starting XI: Raya, Timber, Gabriel, Saliba, Lewis-Skelly, Odegaard, Partey, Rice, Nwaneri, Merino, Martinelli

Chelsea starting XI: Jorgensen, James, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella, Fernandez, Caicedo, Sancho, Palmer, Nkunku, Neto

How to watch Arsenal v Chelsea: Live stream, TV channel

Kick-off on Sunday is at 13:30 GMT. Fans in the UK can tune in live on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Ultra, with coverage starting at 13:00.

Live streaming is available on a vast variety of devices via the Sky GO app.