The Gunners have struggled against the Blues in recent times while Arsene Wenger's men will hope to not be haunted by striker Didier Drogba once more, with the Ivorian causing havoc on a regular basis against Arsenal.
Elsewhere, Manchester United face a potentially tricky trip to Wearside as they meet Sunderland, Tottenham Hotspur host Gerard Houllier's Aston Villa off the back of their first UEFA Champions League group win, Manchester City welcome Newcastle United to Eastlands while Liverpool tackle newly-promoted Blackpool.
Chelsea striker Drogba will have Arsenal in his sights when the two clubs lock horns on Sunday. Indeed, he has scored an incredible 12 goals in his last 10 appearances in all competitions against the Gunners. Drogba's habit of netting versus Arsenal has sometimes been put down to the apparent soft centre of Arsene Wenger's defence. And the French coach will have been startled by his team's 3-2 loss at home to West Brom in their previous league outing. Furthermore, Arsenal will not take heart from having won just two of their last 17 matches against Chelsea. The Blues also were defeated last weekend, albeit at Manchester City, while they and Arsenal both bounced back during midweek in the Champions League.
Manchester United follow up their victory at the Mestalla with a visit to Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. Rio Ferdinand's return alongside Nemanja Vidic at the heart of the Red Devils' defence undoubtedly benefited the club against Valencia, and manager Sir Alex Ferguson will be hopeful that the England skipper is again at his disposal this weekend. Sunderland, meanwhile, earned a decent result in their last match as they held Liverpool at Anfield, and therefore should be in confident mood, in particular considering their home record which has seen them lose just one of their last 13 Premier League home matches. However, that defeat did come against Ferguson's United.
Aston Villa make the trip to White Hart Lane to take on Tottenham. Houllier has enjoyed a promising start as Villa manager, winning in the Carling Cup before overseeing a 2-1 Midlands derby scalp of Wolves. Spurs were beaten by West Ham in their previous league fixture but they responded impressively as they overcame FC Twente in a thrilling Champions League tie. Villa currently lie fifth in the standings and could, in theory, finish the weekend in second spot, should they see off Spurs and other results go their way. Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp, meanwhile, faces the test of whether his side can perform following a midweek European game.
On Saturday lunchtime, Wigan Athletic are in action versus lowly counterparts Wolverhampton Wanderers at the DW Stadium, live on Sky Sports HD2 & 2. Just a point separates the two sides, with the home club currently occupying a spot in the relegation zone. Wigan have been predictably inconsistent this term, and manager Roberto Martinez is more than aware that his charges must address that issue. Furthermore, this is Wigan's worst start to a Premier League campaign after six matches. Wolves have not won since the opening day, with the side's backline surprisingly leaky. And they head into the match-up with the league's worst form, having lost three times on the spin.
West Ham United will be eager to build on their first league success of the season when they go head-to-head with unbeaten Fulham at Upton Park. The Hammers had endured a worrying beginning to the term before overcoming Spurs, and now West Ham fans will hope that said result will ignite their campaign. Mark Hughes' Fulham are one of only two unbeaten teams left in the Premier League this season. However, the club have drawn five of their six matches thus far. Nonetheless, the Cottagers are seventh in the standings, a position they would have taken before the campaign got under way. Hughes will, though, be determined to address their drawing habit, especially as he is steadily getting a reputation for being a stalemate specialist.
Everton will be desperate to lift themselves off the foot of the table following a very disappointing start to the season. The Toffees, despite boasting an array of talent, have amassed just three points from their opening six matches. David Moyes' men are in action against Birmingham City, who have an imperious record at St Andrews. Indeed, the Blues are unbeaten in their last 18 Premier League matches at their home turf. That said, Birmingham have notched just one three-point haul so far this term. In fact, Alex Mcleish's charges have only won two of their last 16 top flight matches.
West Brom should be buzzing ahead of their meet with Bolton Wanderers at the Hawthorns. The Baggies claimed what will surely be one of the results of the season as they stunned Arsenal at Emirates Stadium. And that victory took Roberto Di Matteo's team up to the heady heights of sixth in the division. Indeed, this is West Brom's best ever start to a Premier League season. Bolton have just the one league win to their name to date, but there have been some encouraging signs for the Trotters. Owen Coyle's team fought for a 2-2 draw against United in their last match, so their tails should be up.
Saturday's final encounter sees Stoke City tackle Blackburn Rovers in a game that is arguably not one for the purists. With both sides renowned for their direct style of play, and goals for the pair being at a premium of late, expectations of a cracker at the Britannia Stadium are low. However, fixtures like this can often turn out to be thrillers while the two sides head into the meeting on encouraging runs. Indeed, Stoke have garnered seven points from a possible nine while Rovers are also without defeat in three matches.
On Sunday lunchtime, Manchester City host Newcastle keen to continue their momentum gathered by a scalp of Chelsea. City supporters will be wary of a false dawn though, after the club slumped following an impressive win over Liverpool earlier this season. Roberto Mancini's men are fourth in the table, seeking a third triumph on the spin. The Magpies, meanwhile, have struggled for consistency thus far, with two wins soured by three losses. Chris Hughton will have taken some heart from his team's last match, despite losing at home to Stoke, although the Newcastle boss will demand that careless mistakes are ironed out at City.
Also playing on Sunday are Liverpool and Blackpool. The Reds' stuttering season was maintained during midweek as they played out a goalless draw at Utrecht. Said result followed their action-packed 2-2 draw with Sunderland. Anything but a win versus the Seasiders at Anfield will surely be rendered a disaster and most certainly crank up the simmering concerns over the club. Blackpool were dealt a harsh lesson in their late loss to Blackburn while boss Ian Hollway will be eager to avoid slipping to a third defeat on the spin.
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