London Derby: Chelsea's Potential Overshadows Arsenal's Dominance

LONDON, SATURDAY - Chelsea has not won against Arsenal since around 2021. However, from their encounters this season, they seem to sense the narrowing gap to conquer their neighboring team. The potential of "The Blues" will clash with the dominance of Arsenal, which is a reality in the London derby.

Chelsea will visit Arsenal in an English Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium, London, on Sunday (1/3/2026) at 23:30 WIB. This will be their third match this year. They have already faced each other in two semifinal matches of the FA Cup earlier this year. Chelsea suffered consecutive defeats, 2-3 (home) and 0-1 (away).

Since being managed by coach Liam Rosenior in early January 2026, Chelsea has only lost twice in 12 matches across all competitions. Both losses occurred against Arsenal. "You will certainly be disappointed if you lose to one of the London rival teams, especially in the semifinals of a competition," said Rosenior ahead of his first London derby in the league.

Despite this, the coach sees many positive aspects from the meeting. Chelsea was still able to trouble Arsenal even while playing without their best players. They could not be reinforced by the team captain and key wing-back Reece James. Attacking midfielder Cole Palmer was also only able to appear as a substitute in the second match.

In the second semifinal match at the Emirates Stadium in early February, Chelsea was even able to challenge the hosts defensively by fielding five defenders simultaneously. Arsenal, who had a one-goal aggregate lead, could only secure victory in the final minutes, as "The Blues" played an all-out attacking game.

"I believe there is an issue with player availability. This is not an excuse. In fact, in the first match, I had just taken over this club. We need to view this in the right context. Our game structure is very good when we are without the ball. With the ball, perhaps we can be even more aggressive. We want the result to change next Sunday," said Rosenior.

A strong belief from the Chelsea camp has blossomed since the first meeting in the league, at the end of November, when they were still coached by Enzo Maresca. James and his teammates managed to hold Arsenal to a 1-1 draw at home, despite playing with only ten men since the first half. They were even superior in terms of gameplay.

Chelsea will not arrive with a full squad for the upcoming derby. Several key players are unavailable, such as wing-back Marc Cucurella (injury) and Wesley Fofana (red card). However, they have a stronger squad compared to the last three encounters. Key players, such as James and Palmer, are available.

The weekend duel will serve as the best moment of proof for "The Blues." They will continue to linger in the shadow of Arsenal if they fail to realize the great potential they possess. There is a chasm between belief and reality. The reality is that Arsenal has recently replaced Chelsea as the ruler of London.

Arsenal has not lost to Chelsea in nearly five years, winning seven out of the last ten matches across all competitions. The last time they were defeated was in August 2021, when their rival was still led by coach Thomas Tuchel. Chelsea has undergone five different coaches since then, and each derby has ended in anticlimax.

Not without reason, Arsenal has begun to be referred to as the "King of London." They are not only dominant when facing Chelsea but also against other London teams. Since being managed by Mikel Arteta, Arsenal's winning record against London teams has reached 60.89 percent (42 wins out of 69 matches). This is the highest percentage, surpassing legendary managers such as Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger.

"Si Meriam" has just demonstrated that dominance by crushing Tottenham Hotspur with a 4-1 victory at the opponent's home last week. This significant momentum is what Declan Rice and his teammates bring to silence Chelsea's potential. On the other hand, Chelsea arrives with two consecutive draws against promoted teams.

Arteta stated that it is important not to be swayed by past results. “(The positive trend) does not change our preparations. We know how important this match is. What happened two weeks or two years ago is no longer relevant. Each match has a different context because the players may be different, as well as the atmosphere and urgency of the team. We are only preparing the best,” explained the manager.

The host will once again rely on striker Viktor Gyokeres, who has also appeared in the three previous meetings. The difference is that Gyokeres is currently on fire, especially after scoring a pair of goals against Tottenham. There is not a single player from the English League who is more productive than Gyokeres (8 goals) in 2026.

Arsenal just needs to find a way to support the striker, as they did in the North London derby last week. "We know his quality; there is no doubt he is an outstanding striker. We just need to develop his qualities and understand him better. He always demands more from himself to help the team," said Arteta.

Discipline issues can also be a differentiating factor in the derby. Chelsea has consistently struggled with this issue since the beginning of the season. They have received six red cards in the league throughout this season, including in the last match. This number is the highest in the league, in stark contrast to Arsenal, which has yet to receive a red card. (AP/REUTERS)