London rivals Arsenal (ARS) and Chelsea (CHE) go head to head in the second gameweek of the Premier League 2021/22 season at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, August 22.
Arsenal endured a losing start to their new season to the newly-promoted Brentford side, while Chelsea came out 3-0 victorious against Crystal Palace in their season opener.
Troubled by injuries and Covid-19, Arsenal are set to miss most of their first-team members, including the likes of Alexandre Lacazette, Gabriel Magalhaes and Thomas Partey. As for Chelsea, they are sweating over the fitness of Hakim Ziyech and N'Golo Kante. Christian Pulisic will miss the game after testing positive for Covid-19. New signing Romelu Lukaku is in line to make his second debut for Chelsea.
ARS vs CHE Dream11 prediction
Despite a contrary start to the new Premier League season, Arsenal have enjoyed fruitful outings against Chelsea in the past. The Gunners have, in fact, won three of their last five league outings against Chelsea.
As for the Blues, they have won just three of their last 14 games against Arsenal in all competitions (D5, L6), losing all of their last three games including the 2020 FA Cup final.
As things stand though, Chelsea are aided by the absence of several first-team players of Arsenal and the Blues are highly likely to take all three points on offer on Sunday.
ARS vs CHE Dream11 tips for Premier League
Top tip: Best forward
With Alexandre Lacazette out and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang a doubt, Chelsea’s Romelu Lukaku remains the safest bet for a striker. Arsenal’s troubling defence will give Lukaku a perfect opportunity to better his record of two goals in 15 appearances against the Gunners.
Top tip: Best midfielder
Chelsea’s Kai Havertz remains a handy option because of the injuries the two teams are dealing with at the moment. There are other players like Mateo Kovacic and Jorginho to consider, but given Havertz’s advanced position, the German is likely to come out with better returns.
Top tip: Best defender and goalkeeper
Chelsea’s set-piece specialist Marcos Alonso should find a place in your fantasy team. The Spanish full-back was excellent against Crystal Palace and is rightly tipped to cause damage to Arsenal’s vulnerable backline.
As for the goalkeeper, Edouard Mendy of Chelsea pips Arsenal’s stoppers for this position considering the quality defenders he has in front of him. The Blues are likely to keep a clean sheet, meaning that Mendy would also earn bonus points.
ARS vs CHE probable playing XI
ARS probable XI (3-4-3): Leno; White, Holding, Mari; Cedric, Lokonga, Xhaka, Tierney; Saka, Pepe, Smith Rowe
CHE probable XI (3-4-2-1): Mendy; Chalobah, Christensen, Rudiger; Azpilicueta, Kante, Jorginho, Alonso; Havertz, Mount; Lukaku
Featured photo : Adrian Dennis / AFP
