Tony Mogan
Published November 27, 2025 1:54pm
Updated November 27, 2025 1:54pm
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Chelsea welcome Arsenal to west London on Sunday (Picture: Getty)
Chelsea host Arsenal in a huge Premier League showdown between first and second at Stamford Bridge this weekend.
After another slip-up from Manchester City last time out, Enzo Maresca’s side are now Arsenal’s closest challengers, trailing the Gunners by six points.
Victory will close that gap and provide real legitimacy to Chelsea’s title credentials this weekend with the Blues flying after a thrilling victory over Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
All eyes will be on whether Cole Palmer is fit to make the team. A persistent groin problem has derailed the England international’s season so far, starting just three games in all competitions. Having been pulled out in October to recover, it had been hoped he would be back for this week’s key fixtures.
A fractured toe suffered after stubbing it off a door at home shelved those plans with Maresca initially suggesting his talisman would be unavailable this weekend.
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Palmer was spotted back in training this week however with hope a specially designed boot can speed up his recovery with Maresca noting this week he is ‘feeling good.’
Enzo Fernandez did a fine job filling the no10 role in Palmer’s absence against Barcelona and will be an option there if he isn’t passed fit.
Palmer has missed the last two games with a toe injury (Picture:Getty Images)
Estevao was another who shone against the Spanish giants but there was slight concern when he required treatment in the 83rd minute before being replaced.
Maresca will provide an update on Palmer and Estevao when he speaks to the media on Friday.
Arsenal secured another statement-making victory midweek against Bayern Munich in another game Viktor Gyokeres missed.
The Sweden international has now missed the last four games with a hamstring injury suffered at the start of the month against Burnley. Arteta has given little away over the severity of the issue but suggested this week his striker could be available this weekend depending on the results of further scans.
The same applies to Kai Havertz who has not featured since the opening weekend of the season.
Gyokeres has not played since the start of November (Picture: Getty)
Leandro Trossard was forced off in the first-half on Wednesday night against Bayern and is still being assessed ahead of the weekend. The availability of Gabriel Martinelli, who scored eight minutes after coming off the bench, offers an immediate solution however with another midweek goal scorer in Noni Madueke also back in the picture.
Martin Odegaard was another to make his return from injury against Bayern with Arsenal’s injury situation now looking considerably brighter. Gabriel Magalhaes however remains absent with the centre-half not expected back until late December at the earliest.
Chelsea XI vs Arsenal – Metro prediction
Maresca rotated his attack to perfection on Tuesday having utilised Pedro Neto as his most advanced forward. A more orthodox option up front in Liam Delap with Joao Pedro playing off him might be their best bet of breaking down Arsenal’s mean defence.
Palmer’s availability is still uncertain, but if fit, he will surely come into the side.
Arsenal XI vs Chelsea – Metro prediction
If Gyokeres is not deemed fit to start, Mikel Merino will have the chance to lead the line again as he has done so effectively in recent weeks.
After coming off the bench against Bayern, Odegaard will hope to return to the starting XI to skipper the side in west London.
Key battle: Moises Caicedo vs Declan Rice
The two best midfielders in the league have been the beating heart of their respective teams this season. Both have stepped up another level – the presence of Martin Zubimendi has allowed Rice to immerse himself in a more box-to-box role while Caicedo has taken to setting the tempo for Chelsea, developing into a metronomic presence in the middle of the park.
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Whoever has the better game could lead their side to victory.
Chelsea vs Arsenal kick-off time and live stream
Chelsea vs Arsenal takes place on Sunday 30 November with kick-off scheduled for 4:30pm.
You can watch the match live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event with streaming also available through the Sky Go app and NOW TV for subscribers.
You can also follow all the action with Metro’s LIVE match day blog.
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