Arsenal vs Chelsea Prediction, Betting Odds, Picks

Arsenal Must Not Give up Hope Despite Fading Title Chances

After events of recent weeks, the best online sportsbooks now have Manchester City down as the overwhelming favorites to win the Premier League title. Pep Guardiola’s side moved to the top of the table for the first time since February after they beat Fulham on Sunday.

Arsenal have stuttered of late. They drew three consecutive matches against Liverpool, West Ham United and Southampton, dropping six points in the process. A 4-1 defeat by City last week put their opponents in pole position to win a fifth championship crown in the last six years.

For the first time in 2022/23, things have gone against Arsenal in their last few matches. They must not lose faith, however. Even a second-place finish would represent an overachievement. Indeed, the Gunners were not expected to even finish in the top four this season.

There is no denying that it would be a disappointment to miss out on the title given that Arsenal were top of the table for so long. But Mikel Arteta will be telling his players that the race is not over yet. 

Sure, City are in a strong position as we enter the final month of the campaign. But they are not immune to dropping points and Guardiola’s side are still trying to balance three different tournaments. Arsenal, on the other hand, have only one competition to focus on.

Finishing the season on a low note could also harm the Gunners next season. Carrying some momentum into the summer, even if they are only Premier League runners-up, would lift the mood at the Emirates Stadium again. Stumbling over the finishing line would make things harder.

Until it is mathematically impossible, Arsenal must believe they still have a chance to win their first Premier League title since 2004.

Chelsea Waiting for Next Season to Start After Dismal Campaign

It is hard to overstate just how abysmal this season has been for Chelsea. They entered the campaign with high hopes, as the new owner Todd Boehly vowed to exploit what he perceives as inefficiencies within the soccer industry.

Chelsea aimed to contend for the Premier League title. They would also have been eyeing the FA Cup and the EFL Cup after reaching the final of both domestic competitions in 2021/22. Another Champions League triumph looked more difficult but not impossible.

Chelsea have failed on all fronts. They were eliminated from the FA Cup and the EFL Cup early on. They were soundly beaten by Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals, losing 4-0 on aggregate.

Worst of all has been their performance in the Premier League. Chelsea head into Tuesday’s match in 12th place, behind Crystal Palace, Fulham and Brentford (as a result, they are the top flight’s second-lowest-ranked London club at present). The Blues could finish in the bottom half for the first time since 1995/96. This is in spite of an outlay of more than $600m on new players.

Chelsea are on the verge of appointing Mauricio Pochettino as their new manager. For now Frank Lampard remains in charge on an interim basis, but his five matches at the helm so far have yielded five defeats.

Boehly sacked Thomas Tuchel prematurely and then ended up firing Graham Potter too. The American has a lot to learn about English soccer, as Chelsea’s failings this season prove. For a club accustomed to winning silverware at home and abroad, this has been a truly calamitous campaign.

Arsenal Can Return to Winning Ways in Tuesday’s London Derby

Chelsea have gone six games without a win in the Premier League, while they have emerged victorious in only three of their 17 top-flight matches since the turn of the year. Had the season started at the beginning of 2023, the Blues would be in the relegation dogfight right now.

Lampard’s side will not finish in the bottom three, but the fact they are not mathematically safe from relegation with only six games left to play underlines how poor the west Londoners have been this term. Arsenal might not be in the best form but they should prove too strong for their cross-city rivals on Tuesday.

This is the match in which Arteta’s team can bounce back. They may have been outclassed by Manchester City last week, but there is no shame in that. Arsenal must remind everyone why they have spent most of the season at the summit of the standings.

A win by a two-goal margin or more should be well within Arsenal’s grasp, not least because Chelsea are so insipid in attack. The Blues are averaging under a goal per game in 2022/23, and Arsenal should be able to hold their frontline at arm’s length. Back the home team to win with a -1.5 handicap on Tuesday.