Arsenal vs Chelsea: Premier League – preview, team news, start, lineups

Arsenal vs Chelsea: Premier League – preview, team news, start, lineupsLeague leaders Arsenal desperate for a win over Chelsea to keep resurgent Manchester City at bay.A mad scramble in the box during Arsenal's League Cup semifinal second leg win over Chelsea on February 3 [Paul Childs/Action Images via Reuters]Published On 28 Feb 2026Who: Arsenal vs Chelsea What: Premier League Where: The Emirates Stadium, London When: Sunday, March 1 at 4:30pm (16:30 GMT) How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 13:30 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream.The last time Arsenal beat Chelsea three times in ‌the same season was also the last time they won the Premier League, in 2003-04.And while one may not necessarily lead to ⁠the other, Arsenal are going into ⁠Sunday’s clash desperate for a win to keep Manchester City at bay.Arsenal, who finished second in the last three seasons, have struggled with the pressure of the title race in the current campaign as well, settling for back-to-back draws at Brentford and ⁠bottom-side Wolves this month.Last weekend, leaders Arsenal bounced back with a commanding 4-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur, but anything less than three points against Chelsea on Sunday will put them at risk of City, five points behind with a game in hand, closing the gap at the top.City, meanwhile, are ⁠visiting a stubborn Leeds side who almost held them to a draw in November.Fifth-placed Chelsea have not beaten Arsenal since 2021 and lost twice in their League Cup semifinal tie in January and February, but had held Arsenal to a league draw in November despite playing most of the game with 10 men.Arsenal also stumbled the last two times they hosted a club currently in the top six, sharing points with Liverpool and losing to Manchester United last month.Avoiding the ignominy of losing three times in a season to their local rivals will also fuel Liam Rosenior, who has kept Chelsea unbeaten against all teams except Arsenal since taking charge last month.Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres celebrates scoring against Spurs with teammate Martin Odegaard [Ian Walton/AP Photo]Recent wins over Chelsea mean nothing, says Arteta‌Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is taking no comfort from his team’s ⁠good record against ⁠Chelsea, and the Premier League leaders will be fully prepared to deal with their London rivals’ adaptability when they meet on ⁠Sunday.“We know the importance of ‌the game and the team we are going to have in front of us. We just have to prepare in the best way to earn the right to win it, as I always said,” Arteta told reporters on Friday.“What you have done two weeks or two years ago is irrelevant because every game and every context is different, the ⁠players might change, the mood of the team might ⁠be different. We are prepared.”Arteta praised Chelsea’s ability to react to the game under Rosenior, who is yet to lose a league game as Chelsea manager.“They can change throughout the game ⁠and they have a manager very comfortable doing that, so we are prepared for the possible scenarios we ⁠can face and then we will try ⁠to be better than them,” Arteta added.Arteta reacts during a match [Tony O’Brien/Reuters]‘Let’s go game by game’Asked if Arsenal can become the first English club to win the quadruple – including the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and the Champions League – this ‌season, Arteta shrugged off the idea.“Has it been done? That is how difficult it is,” he said.“So let’s go game by game and try ‌to ‌earn the right to be there in the last stage of every competition, and then we will see what happens.”Rosenior eyes extended stay to stabilise ChelseaAsked how he viewed his Chelsea future after a solid start featuring four wins from six league games before disappointing draws with Leeds and Burnley, Chelsea’s boss said patience was the key to success.“Sitting here in this chair, I want to be here for as long as possible,” Rosenior told reporters on Friday.“I want to be the guy – and not just me but the team, the staff, the ownership, sporting directors – I want to be a part of something really successful for a long time. That’s why I signed up for this challenge.“The reality of football is that what gives you time is being successful. You need to show your quality, not just in terms of the games, but every day.“Every day you need to be top with the players in terms of the way you develop them, the way you put your sessions on, the way you conduct your meetings.“I hope this is the end of the upheaval for this club. I hope I can be here for a very long time and bring the club the success it deserves.”Rosenior arrives at Stamford Bridge before a match against Burnley [John Sibley/Action Images via Reuters]Head-to-headThe two London clubs first locked horns in 1907 – when the Gunners were called Woolwich Arsenal – and they have now played each other 214 times.Arsenal have won 87 of those encounters, while Chelsea have won 66, and 61 games have ended as draws.The Gunners have dominated many of the more recent fixtures and are unbeaten against the Blues in eight Premier League games, and 10 in all competitions.Earlier this year, Arsenal beat Chelsea over two League Cup semifinal legs, winning 3-2 at Stamford Bridge and 1-0 at the Emirates.Chelsea did manage to hold the Gunners to a 1-1 draw in their last league game back in November 2025.Arsenal’s Declan Rice is challenged by Moises Caicedo of Chelsea during their recent League Cup semifinal [Mike Hewitt/Getty Images]Arsenal’s team newsVersatile midfielder Mikel Merino could miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery to address a stress fracture in his foot.Defender Ben White is a doubt after missing the north London derby with a knock.Winger Bukayo Saka hobbled off in the win over Tottenham but is expected to be declared fit to face Chelsea.Kai Havertz could possibly be in line to face his former club, but Arsenal are keen not to rush his comeback from a hamstring injury.Predicted starting XI:Raya (goalkeeper); Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli; GyokeresChelsea’s team newsJamie Gittens and Levi Colwill have both been ruled out with injuries, while Wesley Fofana will be suspended after receiving a red card against Burnley.Estevao and Marc Cucurella both missed the Burnley game with hamstring problems and remain doubtful for this match.Midfielder Dario Essugo is available again as he has recovered from injury.Predicted starting XI:Sanchez (goalkeeper); James, Tosin, Chalobah, Gusto; Santos, Caicedo; Palmer, Fernandez, Neto; Joao Pedro