Arsenal host Brentford in London derby
The London derbies continue coming thick and fast for Premier League leaders Arsenal, whose next all-capital clash comes at home to Brentford this evening.
The Gunners were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw at 10-man Chelsea over the weekend, while the European-chasing Brentford took down Burnley 3-1 on home soil.
Sunday’s lethargic display from Mikel Arteta‘s side was perhaps the consequence of a brutal run against Tottenham Hotspur, Bayern Munich and the title-chasing Blues, but the hosts still hold a healthy five-point lead at the summit of the Premier League table.
The Gunners’ draw at Stamford Bridge also prolonged their unbeaten run to a stellar 17 matches since August, and no team have conceded fewer Premier League home goals than the hosts’ two in 2025-26.
Arsenal’s home successes spell danger for a Brentford side whose travails on their travels leave a lot to be desired.
Brentford must go back to 1938 for their most recent away league win over Arsenal, who have strung together a seven-game unbeaten sequence against the Bees in the Premier League since becoming their visitors’ first-ever victims in the competition in August 2021.
Brentford talisman Thiago could smell blood against a Saliba and Gabriel-less Arsenal defence, but Brentford’s main concern on Wednesday may be keeping the Gunners out, especially considering their dire away record this season.
However, this is the time for Arsenal’s significant squad depth to come to the fore, and while it may not be straightforward, the leaders should return to winning ways.
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Liverpool welcome high-flying Sunderland
Whether Liverpool‘s West Ham United triumph was a false dawn or a sign of better things to come will become clearer in Wednesday’s Premier League home clash against high-flying Sunderland.
While the Reds strolled to a 2-0 victory at the London Stadium over the weekend, Sunderland had to erase a 2-0 deficit in a chaotic 3-2 win over Bournemouth at the Stadium of Light.
Aided by the most nonsensical of nonsensical red cards to Lucas Paqueta, Liverpool pulled themselves out of yet another rut in the capital, taking down a formerly in-form West Ham to end a three-match losing run.
Mohamed Salah watched the entirety of Sunday’s success from the bench, and Liverpool’s exploits without him may suggest that the writing is on the wall for one of the club’s greatest-ever players, but Slot has affirmed that the Egyptian still has a part to play.
With or without Salah in the XI, Liverpool endeavour to crack the European places in the Premier League table this week; the eighth-placed champions’ total of 21 points is just three fewer than third-placed Chelsea and four below second-placed Manchester City.
Both at Anfield alone and in the Premier League altogether, the hosts have also won each of their last 12 top-flight matches against newly-promoted clubs, although Sunderland have not just been any other newly-promoted club this season.
Furthermore, Wednesday’s visitors have never beaten Liverpool in a Premier League match at Anfield – last triumphing on the Reds’ turf in a league match in 1983 – although it has been nearly nine years since their last meeting, a 2-2 stalemate in January 2017.
All Anfield eyes will no doubt be on Salah’s participation in Wednesday’s game, but unless Dominik Szoboszlai shows signs of fatigue, Slot will surely see no need to disrupt the attacking harmony in midweek.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Real Madrid travel away to Athletic Bilbao
Real Madrid will be aiming to win in La Liga for the first time in over a month when they continue their domestic campaign away to Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday night.
Los Blancos are currently second in the La Liga table, one point behind the leaders Barcelona, while Athletic sit down in eighth, 11 points behind fourth-placed Atletico Madrid.
Athletic have a record of six wins, two draws and six defeats from their 14 La Liga matches this season, with 20 points leaving them in eighth spot in the division, four points behind sixth-placed Espanyol and 11 from fourth-placed Atletico on the same number of games.
The Basque outfit will enter this match off the back of a 2-0 victory over Levante, with Robert Navarro and Nico Williams on the scoresheet in Valencia.
Ernesto Valverde’s side have struggled for consistency this season, and they currently look short of being able to challenge for a top-four spot in the division, with injuries harming them early in the campaign.
Athletic have picked up 13 points from their seven home league games this season, and they will be welcoming a Real Madrid side with the best away record in the division this term, having collected 15 points from their eight matches on their travels.
Athletic are more than capable of making this a tough match for Real Madrid, and there is no getting away from the fact that the visitors are currently struggling for form. However, we are expecting Los Blancos to navigate their way to a hugely important three points on Wednesday.
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Leeds United and Chelsea faceoff at Elland Road
Squaring up to a side whom he is yet to beat in a competitive game, Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca takes his team to Elland Road for a Premier League date with Leeds United on Wednesday night.
The Blues came out of Sunday’s clash with Arsenal with a creditable 1-1 draw, but the Whites’ Etihad efforts were in vain in a 3-2 loss to Manchester City last time out.
After Caicedo’s deserved dismissal, Sunday’s draw was certainly a case of one point gained rather than two lost for Chelsea, even if they have now been leapfrogged by Arsenal’s new closest challengers Manchester City in the Premier League table.
Avoiding defeat against Mikel Arteta’s men also extended the Blues’ unbeaten run to seven matches in all tournaments, and Maresca’s men have hit a hot streak away from home of late, winning five and drawing one of their last six on the road.
Chelsea star Caicedo begins a three-game suspension for serious foul play this week, and to make midfield matters worse, Maresca has suggested that Reece James will be spared after a man-of-the-match-worthy display on Sunday.
Chelsea boss Maresca can bring plenty of fresh legs into his attacking quartet, so the Blues should still emerge triumphant.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Arsenal 19:30 Brentford
