For the second successive Premier League away game, Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso will face someone he knows well in the opposition dugout.

Alonso and Mikel Arteta were born four months apart and both played for the same boys' team, Antiguoko, in San Sebastian. Liverpool’s Andoni Iraola also played in the same side at the time.

Head-to-head

The Blues have played more games against Arsenal (215) than against any other opponent.

This will be our 10th Premier League meeting with Arsenal this century in either August or September. We have won five of the previous nine, drawn three and lost one.

Arsenal are unbeaten against the Blues in 11 matches in all competitions (eight wins, three draws), nine in the Premier League.

The Gunners’ current nine-game unbeaten run in the Premier League is their longest against the Blues in the competition since a 19-game streak between 1995 and 2005.

Arsenal have won their last four home league games against Chelsea, last winning more consecutively between 1990 and 1994 (five).

Head-to-head (all competitions)

Played: 215
Won: 66
Drawn: 62
Lost: 87

Biggest win for each team:

Chelsea 6-0 Arsenal | 2013/14 | Premier League
Arsenal 5-0 Chelsea | 2023/24 | Premier League
Chelsea's biggest win at Arsenal was 5-0 in the 1998/99 League Cup
Chelsea’s biggest away league win at Arsenal was 4-1 in 1959/60, 1960/61 (both Division One) and 2008/09 (Premier League)

Chelsea stats

For the second campaign running, our first two away games in the Premier League are London derbies. Last season we beat West Ham United 5-1 and drew 2-2 at Brentford.

After beating Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend, Chelsea are going for four consecutive wins in all competitions for the first time since January (a run of five).

Alonso is the first Chelsea manager since Antonio Conte in 2016 to win his opening three competitive matches.

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

Chelsea have conceded in each of our past 18 Premier League matches, our longest league run without a clean sheet since a 31-game sequence in the old First Division between November 1960 and August 1961.

Our last Premier League clean sheet was against Brentford at Stamford Bridge on 17 January. Our last away clean sheet in the Premier League was at Bournemouth on 6 December.

There have been 12 goals in Chelsea’s first two Premier League matches this season — seven for and five against — the joint-third highest total for any side’s opening two games in the competition, behind only Arsenal in 2004/05 (13) and Leeds United in 2020/21 (14).

No side has scored more Premier League goals than Chelsea this season (seven), while Arsenal are yet to concede in the competition.

Chelsea are only the second side ever to score in the opening four minutes of both of their first two Premier League games of a season, after Bolton Wanderers in 2002/03.

Alonso is only the fourth manager to see his side score seven or more goals in his first two Premier League games, after Bobby Robson (eight in 1999), Michael Laudrup (eight in 2012) and Marcelo Bielsa (seven in 2020).

Emi Martinez (33 years, 362 days) is the first player aged 30 or over to appear in a Premier League fixture for Chelsea since 39-year-old Thiago Silva played against Bournemouth in May 2024, ending our run of 77 successive league matches without fielding a player over the age of 30.

Morgan Rogers has created the most chances in both of Chelsea's Premier League games this season – five vs Fulham and four vs Brighton. It is the most chances on record any Chelsea player has created in his first two appearances since 2003/04.

Joao Pedro has scored and assisted in both of Chelsea’s Premier League games this season, the first player to do so in the club’s first two matches of a Premier League campaign.

The Blues have won five of our past six Premier League London derbies, losing the other to Arsenal in March.

Milestones

Cole Palmer has scored 49 goals in 98 Premier League games for Chelsea. Only two players have reached 50 for the Blues in fewer than 100 games – Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (84) and Diego Costa (85).

Moises Caicedo’s next appearance will be his 150th for the club.

Arsenal stats

Last season

Premier League: Winners with 85 points
FA Cup: Lost 2-1 at Southampton in the quarter-finals
League Cup: Lost 2-0 at Manchester City in the final
Champions League: Lost on penalties to Paris Saint-Germain in the final
Top scorer: Viktor Gyokeres 21

Last season's Premier League stats

Most minutes played: Raya 3,330, Rice 3,099, Zubimendi 3,001
Most goals: Gyokeres 14, Eze 7, Saka 7, Trossard 6
Most assists: Odegaard 6, Trossard 6, Rice 5, Saka 5, Timber 5
Most duels won: Gabriel 171, Saka 167, Zubimendi 153
Clean sheets: Raya 19
Most fouls conceded: Timber 38, Gyokeres 35, Saka 33, Zubimendi 33
Most clearances: Gabriel 182, Saliba 133, Hincapie 88
Most yellow cards: Calafiori 5, Gyokeres 5, Timber 5
Red cards: None

Arsenal have won their past four home Premier League games, all with a clean sheet, since a 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth in April.

Arsenal have allowed one shot on target in their first two Premier League games - one against Coventry City and none against Aston Villa.

At Villa Park on Monday, David Raya became the fifth-fastest goalkeeper to reach 50 Premier League clean sheets (109 starts). The fastest was Chelsea’s Petr Cech (82 starts).

That was Arsenal's 14th Premier League victory by a 1-0 scoreline in the last three seasons, six more than any other club has in that time.

Arsenal have lost one of their last 29 Premier League London derbies (22 wins, six draws) and are unbeaten in their last 16 (12 wins, four draws).

At Aston Villa on Monday, Mikel Arteta became the 10th manager to oversee 250 Premier League games for a single side. The other nine were Arsene Wenger (Arsenal), Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United), David Moyes (Everton), Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool), Joe Kinnear (Wimbledon), Harry Redknapp (West Ham United), Alan Curbishley (Charlton Athletic) and Sean Dyche (Burnley).

Mikel Arteta's managerial record against Chelsea

Won: 11
Drawn: 4
Lost: 2

2026/27 Arsenal results

Manchester City (Community Shield, n) | W 3-0
Coventry City (H) | W 3-0
Aston Villa (A) | W 1-0

Last Premier League line-up

Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal
Monday 31 August
Team (4-2-3-1): Raya; White, Mosquera (Konsa 79), Gabriel, Calafiori; Rice (Zubimendi 85), Lewis-Skelly (Guimaraes 71); Saka, Odegaard (c) (Merino 71), Tzolis (Eze h-t); Havertz
Scorer: Saka 59

Discipline

There are no suspensions.

Match officials

Referee: Chris Kavanagh
Assistants: Dan Cook, Tim Wood
Fourth official: Tom Bramall
VAR: Darren England
Assistant VAR: Constantine Hatzidakis

Chris Kavanagh is taking charge of his first Chelsea match since our final-day defeat last season at Sunderland.