Chelsea will host Arsenal at Stamford Bridge in the English Premier League. The hosts will be high on confidence after reaching the FA Cup final last weekend. Arsenal, on the other hand, have lost three consecutive games in the league and have dropped down in the league table. Chelsea won the reverse fixture 2-0 away and have the momentum going into this game.
Chelsea have won 18 times, drawn eight times, and lost four times in 30 games. This season, the Blues are anticipated to finish third in the league table. The team under Thomas Tuchel has scored 64 goals with an xG rate of 53.11 and allowed 23 goals with an xGA rate of 28.45.
Chelsea have been one of the top clubs in the league this season. The Blues have created a lot of chances while going forward, and the above viz shows that Chelsea have been one of the best attacking teams. Thomas Tuchel’s men have attempted 16,980 passes, and 14,973 have been successfully delivered. Of these 16,980 passes, 730 passes have been attempted into the opposition’s penalty area, with 404 passes successfully delivered.
Chelsea players have tried 423 shots this season, with 165 of them finding the target. 265 of the 423 shots were taken from inside the opponent’s penalty box, with 122 of them hitting the target. The above viz shows all the shots attempted in open play. Chelsea players have attacked from both sides and have scored plenty of goals from just outside the opposition’s six-yard box. Mason Mount has attempted the most shots and has recently scored four goals in three games. He will look to add more goals to his collection.
Mateo Kovacic, who was injured in Chelsea’s FA Cup semi-final match against Crystal Palace, will miss the match. In the midfield, N’Golo Kante is set to take his place.
Arsenal have played 30 games this season, winning 17, drawing three, and losing 11. Mikel Arteta’s team has dropped down the league table after losing three consecutive games against mid-table opponents. They’ve scored 45 goals with a 56.23 xG rate and conceded 37 goals with a 37.85 xGA rate. Arsenal have also attacked a lot this season and have created 1,010 positional attacks along with 64 counterattacks. They have attempted 287 shots with these positional attacks and are ranked above their weekend opponents.
The Gunners have attempted the third-highest number of shots in the league this season. Mikel Arteta’s men have attempted 458 shots and managed to hit the target 152 times. Of these 458 shots, 268 were attempted from inside the opposition’s penalty box, with 101 of them being on target. The above viz shows that Arsenal players have attempted most of their shots from the middle. They have scored more goals from the left side in comparison to the right side.
Both Thomas Partey and Kieran Tiernay have not yet recovered, and both are expected to miss this match. Alexandre Lacazette’s participation is also a concern after the striker tested positive for COVID-19 before the Southampton clash. Eddie Nketiah could lead the line for the Gunners.
Chelsea have the upper hand over their London rivals and will look to secure three points at home. Arsenal will look to return to winning ways and increase their hopes of achieving Champions League qualification.
