Chelsea vs Arsenal: Preview, Odds and Betting Tips - 21/10/2023 (Premier League)

Chelsea vs Arsenal could not come at a worse time for both teams.

The match, which will be played on 21 October 2023 after the October 2023 international break, is the marquee match in week nine of the 2023/24 Premier League season.

Both sides went into the international break with big morale-boosting wins and while the international players from both teams were busy representing their countries, their managers and coaching staff were worrying over the best way to keep their momentum going.

Chelsea started the season brightly and went on to suffer setbacks in their pursuit for top four this season. The last two game weeks saw improvement with the club winning two games on the bounce for the first time this season.

Their win over Burnley was also a very emphatic one. Mauricio Pochettino's side outplayed the Turf Moor outfit, who now look like relegation fodder despite their promising football. Chelsea came away with a 4-1 away win - their biggest win margin this season - which was achieved with a list of injuries to more than half of their first choice players.

Arsenal, on the other hand, ended a run of 12 games losing to Manchester City in the Premier League. From the time Mikel Arteta sat in the dugout of the Cityzens as Pep Guardiola's assistant to when he took over from Unai Emery as Arsenal's manager, the Gunners have not been able to beat City in the league.

They did so with very dogged football in week eight, keeping all three points at home with a 1-0 victory. More importantly, they kept Erling Haaland quiet, extending his scoreless run to three Premier League games.

Chelsea vs Arsenal will see two teams desperate to keep their momentum going and with the match being a London derby, it is also bound to be fiercely contested.

Continue reading for more match information, betting predictions and form guides to help you make an informed betting decision(s) on this game.

Form Guide: Chelsea

Chelsea are the most improved side in the Premier League at the moment after eight weeks. Their second and third wins of the season in weeks seven and eight saw them leap three places into eleventh.

However, they have been consistent with their defending despite their poor run leading up to their 4-1 win at Turf Moor. They are the only club outside the top 10 with a positive goal difference.

They also have a better goal difference (+4) than the team in seventh place (West Ham United, +3), ninth place (Crystal Palace, 0) and tenth place (Manchester United, -3).

They still have to clean up their attack, however, but they can hold on to the confidence that their defence against The Gunners in their week nine clash can hold out.

Form Guide: Arsenal

Beating Manchester City feels like a trophy already won for most teams.

The adrenaline rush and the morale boost can carry most teams through a run of games that will see them defy expectations. However, for a team whose goal is now the Premier League, Manchester City will just be another hurdle out of the way.

The Gunners are one of three teams in Europe that remains unbeaten and are the only team alongside their North London derby rivals Tottenham Hotspur to keep a 100 percent record in English top flight football. They have a goal difference of +10 thanks to them conceding the lowest number of goals (alongside Manchester City) at this point in the season.

They are doing well in attack and defence although there is still work to be done in attack. They will feel confident, however, making the trip to Chelsea who they are doing much better than in the attacking department.

What to expect from the match

The form guides of both teams show that the game will be packed with non-stop action. This is a big betting tip to pay attention to as both sides are riding off the high of their matchweek eight wins.

The international break could slow the game down a little but it will be a brilliant watch. A match similar to Chelsea vs Liverpool at the start of the season is to be expected. The Gunners will battle in the middle of the park where Chelsea is just as capable.

Goalkeepers David Raya (Arsenal) and Robert Sanchez (Chelsea) will be equally busy with their hands and feet as they will be employed often for ball retention and distribution purposes, as well as attack nullification through saves and other base goalkeeping actions.

We also predict that the first team to score in this tie will win the match.

Betting predictions

Martin Ødegaard anytime scorer

Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard is not the most prolific scorer or assisted out there but he has made a habit of getting clutch goals. This is the type of match in which he gets those sorts of goals so we predict that he will be on the scoresheet. It may be through a penalty or a finely placed strike after a well worked counter attack or set piece but the likelihood of the Norwegian getting a goal in this game is high, especially after doing so against the Blues back in May.

Over 2.5 goals

Chelsea vs Arsenal matches do not produce the biggest scorines but both teams always come out gloves off against each other. This could be due to their London derby heritage but on average, both teams have ended up scoring more than two goals in total on average. This is probably the safest betting tip for the game and one you should consider when placing your bets.

William Hill have odds of 1.80 for at least three goals to be scored.

Arsenal have gotten the better of Chelsea in six of their last seven games against each other in all competitions. Six of those games were in the Premier League and Arsenal's number of wins still stands at five to Chelsea's one. The Gunners also beat the Blues home and away last season. Arsenal's current form is also much better than Chelsea's and even if form goes out of the window during derby matches, it is unlikely that Arsenal will lose to Chelsea at this point. The best the Blues can hope for is a draw.

William Hill is offering 1.50 odds for Arsenal to not lose this fixture.

All odds are via William Hill and all info valid as of the time of writing.

Odds could differ now.