Arsenal vs Chelsea: Gunners can score another comeback win

Defeat to Wigan this week was Arsenal’s first at the Emirates in seven games, and they will hope to rectify that shock loss by beating Chelsea at 1/1 on Saturday.

Their London neighbours will arrive brimming with confidence, fresh from conquering European champions Barcelona 1-0, and are attributed a 13/5 price for another win here.

5/2 odds concerning the draw could be worth avoiding, as ten encounters have played out since these teams last finished a match level.

An interesting pattern has developed in this fixture in recent times though, with Chelsea holding a half-time lead in six of the past seven games between the two.

Indeed, they led 2-1 at the interval in this season’s reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge, which Arsenal went on to win 5-3, and the 22/1 odds about the Blues leading at the break before succumbing to defeat here look far too lengthy.

Whilst a repeat of a 5-3 scoreline looks unlikely here, the 3-1 home triumph that Arsenal achieved last year seems a very plausible outcome, and should tempt punters at 16/1.

Arsenal to win a game featuring three or more goals also appears a very real possibility, and as this has proved a successful punt in the past two meetings, 12/5 odds are generous.

Chelsea are an 11/5 chance to score the first goal of the first half, and with fixtures piling up for Roberto Di Matteo’s men recently, they look more likely to notch prior to half-time, before fatigue possibly sets in come the second half.

Didier Drogba’s midweek heroics are likely to have taken their toll on the 34-year-old Ivorian, and Fernando Torres is likely to get the nod ahead of him in light of this.

Torres is a 7/1 option to score first, whilst Robin Van Persie, who has 34 goals in all competitions this term, is as long as he has been in weeks to get the opener at 4/1.