Chris Sutton expects Chelsea to give Arsenal plenty of the ball and try to hit back quickly when the teams meet this weekend. Both clubs have made 100% winning starts to the new season, which gives the game an early-season edge without needing any extra decoration. Sutton also thinks Chelsea's attacking quality can be a problem for Arsenal, but only if their back line holds up.

Sutton's read on Chelsea

"I suspect Chelsea will give Arsenal lots of the ball and try to counter-attack quickly," Chris Sutton said on BBC Sport. He also pointed to the names Chelsea can hurt teams with, adding: "The Blues have got some brilliant creativity in Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Joao Pedro, but the fact they are vulnerable at the back could undermine them."

That tension is backed up by the recent numbers. Arsenal have won all five of their most recent matches, while Chelsea have won three of theirs. Chelsea have scored 10 in their last five and conceded seven, a mix that fits Sutton's warning better than any title-race gloss does.

Leicester's promotion target

The Leicester section of the piece shifts away from the London game and into a different kind of pressure. Leicester won the Premier League title in 2016, then reached the Champions League quarter-finals, lifted the FA Cup and Community Shield, won promotion from the Championship and suffered three relegations, including last season when they went down to League One.

Serge Pizzorno's answer to where they go from here was simple. "Promotion!" he said. Asked how he sees the path back, he added: "It has to be. I love the play-offs, so a win at Wembley would do me."

Pizzorno also backed the idea that Leicester need calm around a young squad: "Patience is so important in football, and young teams should play with no fear." Leicester picked up their opening win of the season against Plymouth on Tuesday, and that at least gives them a base to build from after such a sharp fall.

Arsenal's perfect start makes the Chelsea test a proper one, and Sutton's reading suggests the key battle is whether Chelsea can survive without the ball long enough to use it well when they win it back.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →