Arsenal vs Chelsea prediction, odds and preview

After slipping to second on the Premier League table, Arsenal will hope to reclaim the top spot for a short while before Manchester City play 24 hours later.

However, Arsenal will have to do it the hard when as they play host to city rivals Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night.

The game was meant to take place on Saturday evening, but due to a modification from the Metropolitan Police, it was changed to a midweek kickoff, much to the dismay of supporters.

When faced with the end-of-season Manchester City test, Arsenal did little to suggest that they can endure the course, crushing to a 4-1 defeat.

A top-four finish was the primary objective for Arteta and his boys before the start of this season, but a familiar sense of springtime dread has returned amid accusations of Arsenal ‘bottling’ the title – not entirely unfounded given the manner of their draws with Liverpool, West Ham United and basement side Southampton.

Arsenal’s loss at the Etihad on Wednesday marked the seventh game in a row in which they have both scored and conceded – shipping an alarming 11 goals in their last four games – but only Newcastle United have prevented the Gunners from scoring at the Emirates this season, and Chelsea aren’t really in the best of shapes.

Todd Boehly’s strange decision to bring Frank Lampard back to Stamford Bridge is not being vindicated by the passing week, as the Englishman’s losing streak extended to a worrying five games when West London rivals Brentford came to town and won 2-0.

The returning Cesar Azpilicueta scored an own goal in the 37th minute, and as Chelsea’s profligacy reared its ugly head once more, Bryan Mbeumo took advantage with a well-taken second for the Bees 12 minutes from time, and Lampard’s side are now in 12th place following Crystal Palace’s win over the weekend.

While the Blues’ squad is said to be excited about the impending appointment of Mauricio Pochettino as their new manager, Lampard is looking to avoid making unwanted history at the Emirates, where defeat would mark Chelsea’s 20th loss of the season for the first time in the Premier League era – they last suffered as many defeats in 1987-88.