Chelsea vs Arsenal might not have the same unrivalled hatred as the North London derby, the Manchester derby, or even the Merseyside derby.
However, it is still one of the biggest matches in English football – and neither side want to lose this fixture and miss out on the bragging rights of claiming the capital is either blue or red.
The Blues will host the Gunners at Stamford Bridge on October 21, and Mauricio Pochettino’s men will be hoping to be a thorn in the side of Mikel Arteta’s outfit as they look set to compete for the Premier League title once again after agonisingly succumbing to the pressure of Manchester City last season.
It’s the visitors who are the favourites if you’re looking for a Chelsea v Arsenal bet. The Gunners are deserved favourites as well, as they go into this tie level on points with league leaders Tottenham Hotspur after beating Manchester City at the Emirates last time out.
But Chelsea have rediscovered some form of late, winning their last three games in all competitions against Brighton, Fulham and Burnley, and can make a big statement with a win over their London rivals at the Bridge.
This is a fixture that will have everything. So, as the anticipation builds, let’s take a look back at some of the best league meetings between these two sides in the last decade.
2014: Chelsea 6-0 Arsenal
When you think of Chelsea vs Arsenal, this tends to be one of the first games that springs to mind. It’s not just the scoreline that made this match memorable, it was also the infamous sending off of Kieran Gibbs.
The Blues stormed into a 2-0 lead at Stamford Bridge thanks to goals from Samuel Eto’o and Andre Schurrle in the first seven minutes. But the biggest moment of the match came in the 15th minute when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain handled the ball on the line to deny Chelsea a third.
However, referee Andre Marriner got his players mixed up and sent off Kieran Gibbs for the offence. Eden Hazard converted the penalty and Oscar made it 4-0 by half-time. The Brazilian scored again in the second half before Mohamed Salah rounded off the rut.
2018: Chelsea 3-2 Arsenal
Now in their seventh year without a league victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, with their last win in west London a 5-3 triumph in 2011, Arsenal would have hoped to dash that record in the bin on matchday two of the 2018-19 campaign.
However, the Blues once again flew into an early 2-0 lead through strikes from Pedro and Alvaro Morata. The Gunners managed to cancel out those two goals before half-time though, as Henrik Mkhitaryan and Alex Iwobi got them back on level terms.
It looked like momentum might shift in Arsenal’s favour in the second half, but Marcos Alonso scored the winner for Chelsea in the 81st minute — sliding an effort through the legs of former Blues keeper Petr Cech.
2022: Chelsea 2-4 Arsenal
Arsenal ended their lengthy wait for a win at the Bridge the year prior, winning 1-0 in a behind-close-doors matchup. But this 4-2 success for the Gunners in 2022 was far more entertaining. The scoreline ebbed and flowed in the first half.
Eddie Nketiah’s early opener was cancelled out by a Timo Werner equaliser four minutes later, and when Emile Smith Rowe put Arsenal back in front in the 27th minute, Cesar Azpilicueta had Chelsea back on level terms within five minutes.
The Gunners took the game by the scruff of the neck in the second half. Nketiah netted his second just over 10 minutes in and Bukayo Saka converted from the penalty spot in the 92nd minute to seal all three points for the visitors.
2023: Arsenal 3-1 Chelsea
Last season was the worst in recent memory for Chelsea supporters, and Arsenal really twisted the knife with this 3-1 win at the Emirates. Both sides were lacking form, as the Gunners had failed to win in over a month while the Blues were without a win since March (this game was in May).
Frank Lampard’s side had the chance to dampen Arsenal’s title hopes, but that didn’t materialise and Arteta’s men returned to the top of the table by delivering Chelsea their 20th defeat of the season — which is a tally the west Londoners hadn’t racked up since the 1980s.
Martin Odegaard scored twice and Gabriel Jesus netted a third to give Arsenal a three-goal lead by the 35th minute. Noni Madueke got one back for Chelsea in the 65th minute, but it proved nothing more than a consolation.