Premier League weekend preview: Recent record on Arsenal’s side ahead of Stamford Bridge trip

With just two matchdays left before the World Cup break, teams are sure to be desperate to get points on the board and this weekend sees more crucial clashes across the Premier League, including top of the table Arsenal’s trip to Stamford Bridge.

We preview that tie as well as the pick of the other games from Matchday 15.

Chelsea v Arsenal

Before the season started few people would have put Arsenal 10 points clear of Chelsea, let alone top of the table. Such is the improvement that Mikel Arteta’s side have shown this season – he has built an exciting attacking side, but also one that is resolute at the back – Arsenal don’t look like giving up on their title aspirations any time soon.

When a winning run of eight straight games came to an end with a draw at home to Southampton 10 days ago and their following Europa League fixture ended in a 2-0 defeat at PSV, Arsenal’s title rivals might have been forgiven for thinking The Gunners’ momentum was beginning to fizzle out. They showed that not to be the case though, by responding with a 5-0 thrashing of Nottingham Forest last weekend.

The Gunners actually have an excellent recent record when facing Chelsea, winning four of their last five meetings, including twice at Stamford Bridge. Despite that fact and their position in the table, Arsenal come into this tie against rivals Chelsea as the very slight underdogs at 17/10.

Gabriel Martinelli netted his fifth goal of the season against Forest and is 13/5 to score again here.

There was more than an element of irony about Graham Potter’s Chelsea being defeated 4-1 by his old side Brighton last week, a defeat that ended his nine-game unbeaten start in the Stamford Bridge dugout.

It was evidence that Chelsea can be vulnerable if their opponents take the game to them as positively as Brighton did, and that’s something that Mikel Arteta will likely be plotting to do this Sunday. The Blues will have to bounce back, and are just 8/5 to do so, but everything points to this being a tight game, with the match to feature less than 2.5 goals priced at 10/11.

Aston Villa v Manchester United

After Steven Gerrard’s departure, Aston Villa fans must have been imbued with newfound encouragement as they watched their side dispatch Brentford 4-0. However, that sense of optimism quickly dissipated when their side was on the receiving end of a 4-0 thrashing against Newcastle last week.

It highlighted the task at hand for new manager Unai Emery, who is likely to take charge of his first match when Manchester United visit Villa Park on Sunday.

Lying in a perilous position at 16th in the table, a single point above the relegation zone, and with only two wins from their last 10 games, Villa will do well come away with anything against an increasingly consistent United side. They are 13/5 to secure a vital win, while the visitors are priced at evens to take all three points back to Manchester.

United have been scoring steadily in the league, with 16 goals in their last 10 league games, and will fancy their chances against a Villa side that have conceded 14 in their last 10. Marcus Rashford has found his scoring touch in recent weeks, and is 9/2 to break the deadlock and 9/5 to net at anytime.

United scored two goals on their last visit to Villa Park – a 2-2 draw in January – and if you fancy them to put another two past Emiliano Martinez, that eventuality can be backed at 5/2.

Tottenham v Liverpool

Liverpool must be one of the hardest teams to predict in the league this season. At times they look back to their imperious form of 202/22 – beating Manchester City in a pulsating game at Anfield last month – but then they fall to lacklustre defeats to Nottingham Forest and Leeds.

A strong performance to defeat Serie A leaders Napoli in midweek is sure to have given Jurgen Klopp’s men renewed confidence, but consistency has been the problem in the league this season, a fact exemplified by their current position in 9th.

They will have to be on their game against a Tottenham side that are 10 points above them in 3rd position and also achieved a fine win in the Champions League on Tuesday. However, Liverpool’s ability to rise to the occasion in a big game has never been in doubt and perhaps that’s why they start as the favourites here at 6/5.

Summer signing Darwin Nunez hasn’t quite made the impact so far many would have hoped, particularly as he was being compared to Erling Haaland in pre-season. It’s still early days in the Premier League for the Uruguayan though and having scored in two of his last four appearances in the league, he may be beginning to find his feet. He is 15/8 to score at the Tottenham Stadium, with only teammate Mohamed Salah a shorter price at 7/5.

It’s five years since Tottenham beat Liverpool in the Premier League and Antonio Conte’s side will fancy their chances against the misfiring Reds. They are 2/1 to win this one and consolidate their hold on third place in the table.

With the potency of both attacks, keeping a clean sheet will prove a challenge for either side, an observation that fits the trend for this match-up in recent times, with only two clean sheets between the two in their last 10 meetings. With that in mind, both teams to score and over 2.5 goals looks an attractive bet at 4/5.

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