Alexis Sanchez
Alexis Sanchez has recovered from injury and could play a part against Chelsea on Sunday Getty

Arsenal welcome Chelsea to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday (24 January) with the Gunners looking to get back to the top of the table and maintain pace with Leicester City.

Where to watch live

Kick-off is set for 4pm GMT. Live TV coverage is available on Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 1 HD. Catch the highlights on Match of the Day 2 on BBC One and BBC One HD at 10.20pm GMT. Radio commentary is available on BBC Radio 5 Live.

Overview

Arsenal welcome Chelsea to the Emirates Stadium in what is a crunch clash with different connotations for both teams on Sunday. The Gunners are looking to get back to the summit in the League. They are currently third, owing to Leicester City's win over Stoke City on Saturday and Manchester City's draw with West Ham. The Blues are looking to maintain their consistent start to the year and make their way up the Premier League table and get back into the top half. They are currently in 14<sup>th place following a disastrous start to the season.

Arsene Wenger will be aware that it is a must-win game for his team to prove their definite title credentials and maintain the gap against the teams below them, while keeping pace with the high flying Foxes. Chelsea have always had the upper hand over Arsenal in recent seasons and have a strong record home and away against the north London club. The French manager will be boosted by the return of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez for the visit of the west Londoners, with the former guaranteed to start after missing the trip to Stoke last week. Francis Coquelin has returned to first-team training ahead of schedule, but the game will be too soon for the Frenchman.

Eden Hazard
Eden Hazard will feature for Chelsea against Arsenal after recovering from a hip injury Getty

Chelsea, meanwhile, have a new manager in Guus Hiddink, who replaced Jose Mourinho after the Portuguese was sacked following a disastrous start. The Dutchman has steadied the ship and got the Blues back on track. They are unbeaten since the start of the year and he will be keen to continue the momentum as they look to salvage their season. The Stamford Bridge outfit have also been boosted by the return of Diego Costa and Eden Hazard from minor injuries and both of them are likely to start against the Gunners.

Match Stat: Chelsea are unbeaten in their last eight Premier League games against the Gunners (W5 D3), since Arsenal won 5-3 in October 2011.

What managers say

Arsene Wenger: "Even if Chelsea are not in the best position, look at their squad. It's a big game because of the quality of the players on the pitch. We play at the Emirates and know how important it will be to win this game."

Guus Hiddink: "We have to make the next step and not drop back in consistency – one day good, one day bad, or half a game good and half a game bad. It's something we have to work at but I see the players working with a lot of ambition for many days and also with confidence. I think we'll see another very attractive game on Sunday. We will give it our utmost to get the result."

Betting Odds (888Sport.com)

  • Arsenal win: 12/11
  • Draw: 13/5
  • Chelsea win: 49/18

Arsenal

  • Injured: Wilshere, Welbeck, Cazorla,
  • Doubtful: N/A
  • Suspended: N/A

Possible XI: Cech; Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal; Flamini, Ramsey; Campbell, Ozil, Walcott; Giroud.

Chelsea

  • Injured: N/A
  • Doubtful: N/A
  • Suspended: N/A

Possible XI: Courtois; Ivanovic, Zouma, Terry, Azpilicueta; Matic, Mikel; Willian, Fabregas, Hazard; Costa