Sunday’s kick-off is 4.30pm local time, and a first win there since August 2021 would maintain the west Londoners’ 100 per cent start under Xabi Alonso.

The close of the transfer window means the dreamtime is over and every club has the squad that must serve them for the next four months.

The first test sees the metropolis’ most successful clubs meet for Chelsea’s second London derby of the season and Arsenal’s first.

It hands Morgan Rogers an early chance to validate his preference for the blue half of the capital – he has never previously scored against this weekend’s hosts.

This is also the period when the football week starts to fill up – though with no European fixtures, the world champions only have Wednesday’s Carabao Cup visit by Leeds in the midweek calendar.

Arsenal’s latest attempt to win the Champions League – a trophy that has so far eluded them – starts at Napoli’s Maradona Stadium on Wednesday.

Blues manager Xabi Alonso would love a repeat of his first encounter with the Gunners on his 23rd birthday in November 2004 – a 2-1 victory in which he banged in the opener.

Chelsea away to the champions – the history

Ten years ago a new boss took his promising Chelsea side to Emirates early in the Premier League season.

The first half was a write-off as the Blues shipped three without reply, but a tactical switch after the break became a sliding-doors moment.

Antonio Conte’s change to a three-man backline led to a thrilling campaign that eventually brought the national title back to west London.

That was also one of six seasons when the Blues won away to the defending champions of the Premier League – a 3-0 victory at Claudio Ranieri’s Leicester with Marcos Alonso accounting for two and Pedro the other.

The Londoners had done the same against the Premier League’s maiden winners, Manchester Utd – and repeated the feat several times since.

Shortly before the 1994 FA Cup final, a Gavin Peacock finish was enough to end United’s 34-game unbeaten home run.

Three seasons later, the same opponents were beaten at Old Trafford, with a Michael Duberry header and Luca Vialli’s nutmeg contributing to a 2-1 success.

And in December 2001, the Londoners’ dominant display earned a 3-0 victory at United – Mario Melchiot, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Eidur Gudjohnsen finding the net.

In April 2010, champions and hosts United were again 2-1 victims – this time Joe Cole and Didier Drogba doing the damage for Carlo Ancelotti’s future title winners.

And most recently, in March 2021, Mason Mount’s only goal at Anfield helped topple Liverpool’s crown.

Know this…

Chelsea are aiming to open the season with four successive victories on all fronts for the first time since our title-winning 2016/17 season.

With 49 goals from 98 Premier League games, Cole Palmer is one off a half-century – Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (84) and Diego Costa (85) are the only Blues players to have reached 50 in fewer than 100 matches.

Arsenal’s run of nine unbeaten against the Blues in the Premier League is their best since 1995-2005.

Xabi Alonso and Mikel Arteta are two of the four current Premier League managers who hail from the Basque region of Spain. (The others are Unai Emery and Andoni Iraola.)

The last time Arsenal beat Man City 3-0 in the Community Shield was 2014 – but it was Chelsea who went on to win the Premier League.

Chelsea have generated 1.9 or more expected goals before half-time in both league matches to date.

The world champions claimed just 26 per cent of possession during last weekend’s 4-3 beating of Brighton – but 53 per cent of total shots (17/32).

Joao Pedro has scored and set up goals in both opening league fixtures this season – the first player in the club’s history to do so.

Morgan Rogers has created nine chances for team-mates so far this season – the most in the Premier League and the highest total by any Blues player in his first two appearances on record (since 2003/04).

Sunday’s match was the 28th we have won 4-3 and the 11th in the Premier League era.

Between 9 April 1960 and 4 September 1965, Chelsea won all six league visits to Arsenal’s former ground, Highbury, scoring three or more each time – 4-1, 4-1, 3-0, 4-2, 3-1 and 3-1.