Chelsea vs. Arsenal predictions: Optimism for a win, but not a clean sheet

Maurizio Sarri and Unai Emery will each have their first London derby at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea should emerge victorious, but David Luiz will cost them a clean sheet.

Chelsea and Arsenal meet in their second Premier League week under new managers. Both clubs have plenty of uncertainty to overcome, but one thing seems certain: if Sarri starts David Luiz, he will cost the Blues at least one goal on Arsenal’s rapid counter-attacks.

Daniel Mcclue: Chelsea 2 – 1 Arsenal. There are goals to be had at both ends of the pitch. The two teams are in obvious transition for very different reasons, but the Blues are definitely more used to this. N’Golo Kante score both Chelsea goals and still doesn’t know how to celebrate. Petr Cech scores a wonderful free kick and calls out the Bayer Leverkusen social media team.

Scott Brant: 2 – 2. A draw would seem fair for two teams recently taken over by new managers and possibly some players not fit to start (Eden Hazard). Should be an entertaining match with neither team backing down. Hopefully Alvaro Morata will get back on track with a goal and assist.

Abhishek Pancholi: 1 – 3. Chelsea are still in the adaptation phase of Sarri-ball so we cannot expect too much from this team right now. Arsenal’s forwards are loaded with pace, which is Marcos Alonso’s kryptonite. If Sarri persists with a center-back pairing of David Luiz and Antonio Rudiger, expect a bloodbath, as neither defender seems to be blessed with much spatial awareness. This will allow Mesut Ozil to make runs from a deeper position, which is where Unai Emery has used him so far. Chelsea will open the scoring with a wonderful team goal, prompting many to herald the arrival of beautiful football. That parade will be swiftly rained upon, as Arsenal frequently tear Chelsea apart on the counter.

Nate Hofmann: 1 – 1. Chelsea had a relative cakewalk in their first match, while Arsenal ran into an absolute buzzsaw. The two London giants already met once in preseason, with Arsenal claiming the victory on penalties, courtesy of a last gasp equalizer by Alexander Lacazette. With both teams still adapting to new managers, it’s hard to expect anything specific on the pitch. The one thing we know for certain is they are capable of playing to a 1-1 draw, so let’s go with that.  Alvaro Morata to (mercifully) score, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to equalize.

Barrett Rouen: 3 – 2. Arsenal are still adjusting to not having Arsene Wenger holding their hands while they underperform, and they haven’t made the transition to Unai Emery yet. They did not b particularly well this summer. Chelsea simply have more quality, but they’ll play David Luiz so will absolutely give up goals to inferior opposition.

Sahil Gupta: 2 – 1. Both teams are in a state of transition and both will take time to play to their manager’s strengths. Arsenal looked to have some spark on the counter and David Luiz playing at the back cancels out any chance of a Chelsea clean sheet. Chelsea playing a high line will give Aubameyang every opportunity to run in behind Luiz’s shoulders and score. N’Golo Kante’s role could prove vital as he will not have license to surge forward a lot. He would be required to keep a check on Ozil’s runs from deep and his through-balls.

Hugo Amaya: 2 – 1. A very difficult game for Bhe blues as Arsenal put up a decent fight. Although Arsenal won’t have the ball for most of the game, they will pose a threat for Chelsea. The Blues will score two and allow one to sneak in. But a good defensive performance in the second half will help Maurizio Sarri’s side see the game through.