Let’s see 4 key to understand how important will be the game between Chelsea and Arsenal. History, tactics and the story of the coaches.
A rivalry shaped by three distinct eras
Since the start of the 21st century, the Chelsea–Arsenal rivalry has unfolded in three major phases: before 2005, between 2006 and 2018, and the period since 2018.
At the turn of the century, Arsenal were at the peak of their battles with Manchester United, while Chelsea were only starting to emerge as contenders for the top spots. The Blues hadn’t beaten Arsenal in the league since 1995, but everything changed after Roman Abramovich bought the club in 2003. Chelsea finally broke the streak in 2005, and won both league fixtures that season.
From 2006 onward, Chelsea firmly took control of the rivalry. Arsenal won only five Premier League matches against Chelsea in 13 years—two of them coming at Stamford Bridge in 2008 and 2011. This period aligned with Chelsea’s rise as one of the Premier League’s dominant forces under Abramovich, while Arsenal entered an era of financial austerity tied to the construction of the Emirates Stadium. Chelsea could field seasoned, world-class players; Arsenal had to recruit cleverly, develop young talent, and often sell their best prospects to service stadium debt.
Since Mikel Arteta’s arrival in 2019, however, the dynamic has shifted once again. Chelsea have beaten Arsenal only once since 2020 (Matchweek 2 of the 2021–22 season). Arteta’s cycle coincides with Chelsea’s post-Abramovich transition under BlueCo and the club’s youth-driven sporting project.
Which club has been better ?
If we isolate the head-to-head record since 2000, Arsenal have a slight edge: 18 wins to Chelsea’s 17. Chelsea haven’t beaten Arsenal twice in the same league season since 2015–16—a full decade ago. And in terms of current trajectories, Arsenal have been genuine title contenders since 2022, while Chelsea have endured a turbulent fall into mid-table before beginning their rebuild in 2024.
But if the conversation shifts to major silverware, the answer changes. Chelsea hold a commanding lead, especially in Europe. Their two Champions League titles, two Europa Leagues, and the new Club World Cup put them well ahead.
Arsenal, meanwhile, have only reached one European final since 2006—the 2019 Europa League, where they were swept aside by… Chelsea.
In short: Arsenal may lose less often to Chelsea, but Chelsea have the trophies and the aura of a club built for big moments. Arsenal still carry that lingering “but”—the sense of nearly perfect, but not quite terrifying.
Maresca and Arteta : two disciples of Pep Guardiola
Enzo Maresca and Mikel Arteta share much more than a touchline this weekend. Both were cerebral midfielders, both see the game through a tactical lens, and both launched their coaching careers under Pep Guardiola.
Arteta joined Guardiola’s staff directly after retiring in 2016, becoming the Catalan’s most trusted assistant. Maresca’s route was bumpier: after serving as Manuel Pellegrini’s assistant at West Ham in 2019, he took over Parma with an ambitious attacking vision that didn’t fit the squad—resulting in a short-lived spell.
He then spent a crucial year on Guardiola’s staff during Manchester City’s 2022–23 treble, which earned him the Leicester job. He promoted the Foxes at the first attempt, and Chelsea quickly moved to bring him to Stamford Bridge—where he has impressed ever since.
Both managers learned from Pep. Both tried to mimic his structure early on. And both, eventually, had to change.
Rigidity vs Flexibility
Very quickly, Arteta and Maresca realized that copying Guardiola outright wouldn’t take them far.
Arteta has built a compact, controlled Arsenal side, capable of dropping into a low block in big matches to suffocate opponents and strike in transition. His team doesn’t always hold the same high line as Guardiola’s City.
Maresca’s Chelsea, on the other hand, approach major matches with far less conservatism. The Italian prefers an aggressive high block designed to suffocate the opposition. Every player participates in the press, and Chelsea’s flexibility relies heavily on versatile profiles such as Caicedo and Reece James. James often tucks in as an auxiliary center-back to cover spaces left by defenders pushing out to press.
On Sunday, Arteta will need to break Chelsea’s full-pitch pressure while staying alert to the Blues’ devastating long-ball transitions.