Arsenal’s pursuit of the Premier League title continues as Mikel Arteta’s outfit host Chelsea on Sunday afternoon.
The Gunners thumped Tottenham 4-1 in their last outing, with braces from Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres seeing off their local rivals. This result leaves second-place Manchester City five points behind the league leaders with a game in hand, with Pep Guardiola’s side set to visit Leeds United on Saturday evening.
Chelsea come into this London derby off the back of two disappointing results at home and will be desperate to avoid defeat at the Emirates for the first time in four-and-a-half years to ensure they remain in the race for Champions League qualification. The West Londoners have some hope of this materialising, as Liam Rosenior’s record in the Stamford Bridge dugout prior to these recent draws to Leeds and Burnley was positive.
Here are the key battles that we believe could be pivotal in dictating the outcome of the game at the Emirates.
Declan Rice vs Moises Caicedo
The most obvious battle that will ensue at Stamford Bridge will be between Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo. The imperious midfielders have been compared relentlessly throughout this season, with many feeling they are two of the best in world football in this position.
Declan Rice vs Moisés Caicedo 💭
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 20, 2025
Who are you agreeing with? 👀 pic.twitter.com/nO0LpbjDqs
Caicedo unquestionably lost the battle at the Bridge, as he was shown a straight red card for a reckless tackle he made on Mikel Merino shortly before half-time. The Ecuadorian will have to keep a level head if he is to emerge with credit from this game and if his team are to emerge with any points.
While usually revered for his temperament, Rice has been criticised for being overly animated this week, after he made a critical error in the North London Derby. However, he always performs excellently against Caicedo and will be up for the physical battle on offer.
Bukayo Saka vs Marc Cucurella
Alongside Rice and Caicedo’s dogfight, Bukayo Saka’s individual skirmish with Marc Cucurella is always box office in games between Arsenal and Chelsea. Cucurella is a doubt for this clash due to injury, although it wouldn’t be surprising to see him make a late return in time to face Saka.
The Spanish full-back has occasionally negated Arsenal’s talisman effectively, although the contest has also gone Saka’s way in certain games. Chelsea leave Cucurella isolated, as they trust his one-on-one abilities, but if anyone is capable of getting the better of him, it’s the England international.
If Arsenal can feed Saka frequently in space, up against the Euro 2024 winner, throughout the match, then they have an avenue for generating chances. This task could become significantly easier for the Gunners if Cucurella isn’t available and Jorrel Hato steps in.
| Bukayo Saka’s statistics this season (all competitions) | |
| Appearances | 35 |
| Goals | 8 |
| Assists | 5 |
| Shots per 90 | 2.8 |
| Expected Goals per 90 (non-penalty) | 0.29 |
| Expected Assists per 90 | 0.29 |
Martin Zubimendi vs Enzo Fernandez
Tactically, Enzo Fernandez has become hugely important to Chelsea this season. The Argentine provides third-man runs into the opposition’s box and essentially makes up the extra man in the Blues’ attack – this is how he’s notched up 11 goals across all competitions.
Meanwhile, Martin Zubimendi is the metronome at the base of Arsenal’s midfield, and is integral to conducting the Gunners’ build-up. The Spaniard will also be tasked with tracking Fernandez’s runs, and if he does so successfully, Arsenal should be able to negate Chelsea’s attack.
Liam Rosenior in the thick of it as Enzo Fernandez squares up to Martin Zubimendi! 😬 pic.twitter.com/yJn3lDHHjK
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) January 14, 2026
Aside from the tactical aspect, this specific battle is made more tasty by the fact that the two players were involved in a dispute after the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final between the two London clubs in January.
