Two London rivals go head-to-head on Boxing Day, as Arsenal welcomes Chelsea to the Emirates.
Arsenal has been struggling considerably, most recently crashing out of the League Cup in the quarterfinals while in the midst of a 1-7-2 stretch in Premier League play. Chelsea, meanwhile, finds itself in the thick of the title race, six points behind Liverpool in the middle of a pack of clubs looking to separate themselves near the top of the table.
How to Watch:
Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
TV Channel: NBC, Universo
Live Stream: You can stream the match on fuboTV. Sign up now for a free seven-day trial.
Arsenal is desperate for a positive result, both to creep away from the relegation zone and to ease the pressure on manager Mikel Arteta. The Gunners will be without suspended midfielder Granit Xhaka and could also be missing forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who is an injury doubt entering the match. Thomas Partey, the big summer signing from Atletico Madrid, is also likely to miss out through injury.
Chelsea will have some absences of its own, with playmaker Hakim Ziyech ruled out and fullbacks Ben Chilwell and Reece James likely to be sidelined through injury as well.
The last meeting between the two sides was the 2020 FA Cup final, which Arsenal came back to win, 2-1. Aubameyang scored twice for Arsenal after U.S. men’s national team star Christian Pulisic opened the scoring in the fifth minute. Pulisic exited the match with a hamstring injury, which derailed the start of his Premier League campaign, but he’s back fit and has started Chelsea’s last two Premier League games. His lone goal this season came off the bench on Dec. 5 vs. Leeds United.
