When Chelsea hosts Arsenal on Sunday, it will literally be first place versus second place. It’s #1 versus #2 and that fact probably snuck up on a lot of people. Yes, Arsenal have been on a tear all season long, so that’s not surprsing. Manchester City had been the closest to the Gunners in the standings, but now, without Rodri once again, they are struggling.
Liverpool got off to a rip roaring start this season, but have since fallen way off the map, and now find themselves on the second page of the standings.
London Derby FYIs
Chelsea FC at Arsenal
Kickoff Time: 4.30 p.m. BST, Sunday, Nov. 30
Location, Stamford Bridge, London, UK
Team News: Chelsea FC Arsenal
Starting XI Predictions for Both Sides: go here
Google Result Probability: Chelsea FC 28% Draw 28% Arsenal 44%
Premier League Standings Chelsea FC 2nd 23 pts Arsenal 1st 29 pts
So there you have it- Chelsea is the leading rival/contender to the currently table topping Gunners.
Predicted Starting XIs
Arsenal FC
David Raya; Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Piero Hincapie, Riccardo Calafiori; Eberechi Eze, Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice; Bukayo Saka, Mikel Merino, Gabriel Martinelli
Chelsea FC
Robert Sanchez; Reece James, Tosin Adarabioyo, Trevoh Chalobah, Marc Cucurella; Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez; Estevao Willian, Joao Pedro, Neto; Liam Delap
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN.