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Chelsea vs. Arsenal: Odds, Preview, Live Stream, TV Info
August 16, 2018
Arsenal go in search of their first Premier League points of the season when they head to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on Saturday.
The Gunners were defeated in their opening match of the new campaign on Sunday, when goals from Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva gave champions Manchester City a 2-0 win at the Emirates Stadium.
It was a different story for Chelsea as they got off to a winning start in new manager Maurizio Sarri's first league game in charge. The Blues beat Huddersfield Town 3-0 to get their campaign up and running.
Chelsea are favourites to win on Saturday at 81-100 with OddsShark. Arsenal are at 31-10 and a draw is 53-20.
Date: Saturday, August 18
Time: 5.30 p.m. BST, 12.30 p.m. ET
TV: BT Sport 1 (UK), NBC (USA)
Live Stream: BT Sport Live (UK), NBC Sports (USA)
Sarri will be hoping to taste victory in his first home game in charge of the Blues. The Italian may welcome back talisman Eden Hazard to his starting lineup after the Belgium international looked lively in his substitute appearance at Huddersfield.
Squawka Football showed how he made an impression:
Sarri explained after the match why Hazard had started on the bench, per Simon Johnson at the Evening Standard:
Simon Johnson @sjstandardsportWith #afc next up,Sarri on using #Hazard as sub for #cfc today:"I think that Eden in this moment cannot play for 90 minutes, he has to improve and have training. I thought yesterday the best thing for him was to play 15 or 20 minutes when the opposition were probably tired."
If Hazard does return, Sarri will have to make changes to his attack. Willian, Pedro and Alvaro Morata started against Huddersfield and one will have to drop out.
Pedro was on target against the Terriers and looks as though he may thrive under the former Napoli boss, but Morata has been struggling for form and was again off the pace.
Sarri will also be aware Arsenal have injury problems in defence, particularly at left-back. Ainsley Maitland-Niles went off during the game against Manchester City, Sead Kolasinac is out and Nacho Monreal is doubtful, according to James Benge at the Evening Standard.
Right-back Stephan Lichtsteiner ended up swapping flanks against City, and he may have to play out of position once again at Stamford Bridge.
Arsenal have plenty of firepower up front, though, with strikers Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette.
Aubameyang said he enjoys playing with the Frenchman, per ESPN FC's Mattias Karen:
Arsenal head coach Unai Emery must decide whether to go with both strikers after starting with Lacazette on the bench against City.
The Gunners have been handed two tough opening fixtures, and while Emery will not want to lose for a second weekend in a row, a win at Stamford Bridge looks a tough ask.