After they were on the losing end of one of the most famous wins in Brentford's history a week ago, Arsenal will play their first home fixture of the new Premier League season. Unfortunately for the Gunners, a fantastic Chelsea team will be coming to North London to help them begin their home schedule, providing one of the most difficult tests of the season in the second matchday.
Can the home side get a result after a disastrous opening weekend? Read on for our Arsenal vs. Chelsea tips and predictions for August 22.
Arsenal vs Chelsea game info
• Location: Emirates Stadium, London, England
• Date: Sunday, August 22, 2021
• Time: 11:30 a.m. ET
• TV: NBCSN, DAZN
Arsenal vs Chelsea betting tips
- Chelsea (-138)
- Teams to score - Chelsea (+175)
Read on for complete analysis
Arsenal vs Chelsea match odds
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Arsenal vs Chelsea betting preview
Weather
Rain in North London will have dispersed by kickoff on Sunday afternoon, with just a 25 percent chance of rain by then and temperatures around 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Injuries
Arsenal: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ST (Questionable), Willian RW (Questionable), Martin Odegaard AM (Out), Gabriel CB (Out), Thomas Partey CM (Out), Eddie Nketiah ST (Out), Aaron Ramsdale GK (Out), Alexandre Lacazette ST (Out).
Chelsea: N'Golo Kante CM (Probable), Hakim Ziyech RW (Probable), Christian Pulisic AM (Out).
Arsenal vs Chelsea predictions
Side pick
After an excellent finish to last season, which culminated in a Champions League triumph, Chelsea were among the betting favorites to win the Premier League ahead of this season. The first weekend of matches did little to dispel that notion as a heavily rotated Chelsea team won 3-0 against Crystal Palace. Not only has squad fitness improved since then, but the transfer of Romelu Lukaku has become official. Now, the Blues are anticipating one of the best strikers in the world to make his (second) Chelsea debut this weekend.
Lukaku will join an absurdly talented squad, as manager Thomas Tuchel boasts a variety of options in attack, a midfield that can win and retain possession as well as any in England, and defensive depth that was proven a week ago as they kept a clean sheet while rotating three of five positions. Young center-back Trevoh Chalobah was particularly impressive and the pace he provides in defense will be key should Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang come off the bench for Arsenal this weekend.
While Chelsea's first Premier League game was an endorsement of their squad depth, Arsenal's loss to Brentford was a startling indictment of both the team and manager. Brentford's back five effectively suffocated Emile Smith-Rowe and Granit Xhaka's attempts to play balls into dangerous areas, while Pepe continued to be a passenger as he has for most of his time in London. Without Alexandre Lacazette in the squad and Aubameyang on the bench if anything, Chelsea's back five can do a similar job negating Arsenal's attack.
On the other end of the pitch, Brentford striker Ivan Toney bullied Arsenal's new center-back, Ben White, both in the air and on the ground, as his positioning was outstanding. It's only going to get worse in the near future for White and Arsenal, as Lukaku is not only a physical marvel but one of the most intelligent forwards in the world.
Chelsea are one of the best teams in Europe and have the advantage over Arsenal at every position on the field, and on the touchline with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta still yet to prove his worth. It's a surprise Chelsea aren't even heavier favorites.
PICK: Chelsea (-138)
Teams to score pick
We can get Arsenal - 0 total goals at +125 on Sunday, which we do believe to be in the cards, but backing Chelsea to win means we can get better odds on the same pick by taking just Chelsea to score at +175.
A week ago, in their flat defeat to newly promoted Brentford, Arsenal appeared completely unthreatening. Though they started two of the Premier League's most exciting young attackers in Smith-Rowe and Gabriel Martinelli, the late absence of both first-choice strikers in Lacazette and Aubameyang left them without any final product or really, threatening runs altogether.
Unfortunately for the Gunners, Lacazette is out again after testing positive for COVID-19, while Aubameyang has since tested negative with the expectation being he will be available off the bench at best. Between Aubameyang's lack of match fitness and their main creative outlet, Smith-Rowe, coming up against the world's best defensive midfielder in N'Golo Kante, who is expected to be fit in time for the weekend, Arsenal will find it difficult to score their first goal of the new season.
PICK: Teams to score - Chelsea (+175)
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