Chelsea vs Arsenal: What time does it start, what channel is it on, where can I watch it, team news, odds and more
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Chelsea host London rivals Arsenal as the two sides gear up for their second meeting in a week.
The 2-2 draw at the Emirates Stadium last Wednesday will have pleased neither team, who both faltered in the FA Cup at the weekend. Antonio Conte’s Blues were uninspiring in a 0-0 draw at Norwich City.
Conte will likely still be hurting from last May’s FA Cup final with the Gunners, who won 2-1 and denied the Italian a debut-season league and cup double. With their Premier League title defence all but over, Chelsea will be desperate to claim some other form of silverware this season.
Arsene Wenger will continue his three-match touchline ban at Stamford Bridge having served the first game of his suspension during Arsenal’s 4-2 defeat to Nottingham Forest on Sunday. Complaints about referees landed the Frenchman in hot water, but he’ll be delighted to know VAR will be used in both legs of this semi-final. Only the League Cup has evaded Wenger on English soil, so he’ll be hoping his side can pull through without him on Wednesday night.
Laurent Koscielny and Aaron Ramsey are slight doubts for the first leg, but Sead Kolasinac, Nacho Monreal, Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla are all definitely sidelined. Eden Hazard faces a race against time to recover from a calf injury, and new signing Ross Barkley is still on his way back from a hamstring injury.
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What time does it start?
Chelsea vs Arsenal kicks off at 20:00.
Where can I watch it?
The match will be shown live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event from 19:30.
When will the second leg be?
Arsenal vs Chelsea will take place on Wednesday January 24 at 20:00.
It’s a big game for…
Alvaro Morata. After missing a host of golden chances in last week’s 2-2 draw, the pressure will be on Chelsea’s £60m man to deliver this time around. The Spaniard scored a last-minute winner in the last round vs Bournemouth, and if he scores similarly in the semi-final, fans might just forget his previous blunders.
Best stat…
4 – Arsenal are unbeaten in their last four in all competitions vs Chelsea, their best run since 2004 in what’s been a miserable fixture for them in the past decade.
Remember when…
Aaron Ramsey won Arsenal the cup, again.
Player to watch…
Mesut Ozil. Speculation rumbles on about his Arsenal future, but Ozil was outstanding in last week’s draw. Expectation will be placed on his shoulders once again as Alexis Sanchez’s move away from the club gathers pace – they’ll need the German at his best if they’re to topple the Blues.
Past three meetings…
Arsenal 2 (Wilshere, Bellerin) Chelsea 2 (Hazard, Alonso), Premier League, January 2018
Chelsea 0 Arsenal 0, Premier League, September 2017
Arsenal 1 (Kolasinac) Chelsea 1 (Moses) – Arsenal win 4-1 on penalties, Community Shield, August 2017
Form guide
Chelsea – WDWWDD
Arsenal – WDWDDL
Odds…
Chelsea – 10/13
Arsenal – 17/5
Draw – 13/5
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