Arsenal midfielder Martin Ødegaard says Sunday’s London derby against Chelsea is set to be an intense contest as both sides look to maintain their perfect starts to the Premier League season.
“The game will be intense,” Ødegaard said ahead of the meeting, which will be played at Arsenal’s home stadium in the third round of the English Premier League.
Arsenal have won both of their opening league matches. They began their campaign with a 3-0 victory over Coventry before securing a narrow 1-0 win against Aston Villa.
Chelsea have also collected maximum points from their first two fixtures, although both matches produced high-scoring results. The Blues defeated Fulham 3-2 before beating Brighton 4-3.
The contrasting scorelines mean Sunday’s derby will bring together two teams who have made winning starts to the campaign. Arsenal’s results have included a comfortable success against Coventry and a tight victory over Aston Villa, while Chelsea’s opening games have been decided by a total of seven goals.
The fixture will take place on Sunday at Arsenal’s home ground, with kick-off scheduled for 18:30 Moscow time.
Ødegaard’s comments underline the competitive nature expected from a match between two London clubs who have each won their first two league games. Arsenal will aim to continue their unbeaten beginning in front of their own supporters, while Chelsea will look to extend their winning run after successive victories over Fulham and Brighton.
The third-round encounter is therefore the first meeting of the season between Arsenal and Chelsea, with both clubs entering the derby having secured six points from a possible six. The hosts have conceded no goals across their opening two matches, while Chelsea’s two victories have come in games in which both sides found the net.
Arsenal’s 3-0 result against Coventry provided the biggest winning margin mentioned in either team’s opening fixtures. Their subsequent 1-0 triumph over Aston Villa was more closely fought on the scoreboard. Chelsea, meanwhile, scored three times against Fulham and four against Brighton, but conceded twice and three times respectively.
Those results set up a derby involving two unbeaten teams, with Arsenal’s defensive record contrasting with Chelsea’s more open opening matches. The final outcome will be decided at Arsenal’s home stadium on Sunday evening, when the sides meet in the third round of the Premier League.