By Dorcas Francis Koji
Defending Premier League champions Arsenal will welcome London rivals Chelsea to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday in what promises to be the first major heavyweight encounter of the 2026/27 Premier League season.
Both clubs have made perfect starts to the new campaign, collecting maximum points from their opening two matches, and will be determined to preserve their unbeaten records when they meet in North London.
Arsenal currently occupy third position with six points, with goal difference separating them from the teams above them.
Mikel Arteta’s side began their title defence with a convincing 3-0 victory over newly promoted Coventry City before recording another impressive result away from home, defeating Aston Villa 1-0 at Villa Park.
The victory over Villa was also a significant milestone for Arteta, who took charge of his 250th Premier League match as Arsenal manager.
Sunday’s encounter will provide another intriguing storyline as Arteta prepares to face Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso for the first time in a competitive managerial meeting.
The two Spaniards, who share Basque heritage, will go head-to-head as Alonso faces one of his biggest tests since taking over at Stamford Bridge from Enzo Maresca.
Chelsea have also secured six points from their opening two fixtures and have shown impressive attacking form, scoring seven goals.
The Blues opened their campaign with a 3-2 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage before producing another thrilling performance to beat Brighton 4-3 at Stamford Bridge.
Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer have both scored twice so far, making the attacking duo major threats Arsenal will have to contain during Sunday’s London derby.
Head-to-Head Advantage
Recent meetings at the Emirates have favoured Arsenal, with the Gunners winning their last six Premier League home matches against Chelsea.
During that impressive run, Arsenal have scored 15 goals while conceding only three, underlining their dominance over their London rivals on home soil.
However, Chelsea’s strong start under Alonso and Arsenal’s own perfect opening to the season suggest Sunday’s clash could provide a much tougher test.
With both sides eager to make an early statement in the title race, the Emirates is set for a high-profile London derby that could offer an early indication of the ambitions of two of England’s biggest clubs.
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