London Derbies – Insight into Premier League Matchday No. 9 

DATE_FORMAT_LC5 4021

Premier League round No. 9 is all about London Derbies. The matchday will feature Chelsea hosting Arsenal at Stamford Bridge and Tottenham Hotspur welcoming Fulham to north London.

Tottenham go into round No. 9 in first place, and they have the chance to extend their lead over the chasing pack. Arsenal, on the other hand, can go top of the table with a win or draw and Spurs’ loss to Fulham.

The top six in the Premier League are separated by a mere four points. After eight matches, few fans would have thought the title race would be this wide open.

London Derbies Head-to-Head

Chelsea will host Arsenal on Saturday with three massive points up for grabs. Chelsea are 11th and nine points off first place. The Blues have improved in recent weeks, but their recent points tally could be down to playing poor-quality teams.

Arsenal won their last three London Derbies against Chelsea and six of the last seven head-to-head meetings against the Blues. The Gunners’ last two trips to Stamford Bridge saw them win 4-2 and 1-0.

Spurs and Fulham won’t play until Monday night in the final game of the round. Can Spurs deal with the pressure put on by the rest of the title challengers?

Tottenham went unbeaten in nine of their last 10 games in all competitions against Fulham, winning eight games and drawing one match. However, Fulham defeated Spurs in the Carabao Cup second round earlier this season on penalties after an awful performance.

London Derbies – The Managers

Mauricio Pochettino is familiar with Arsenal; however, this will be the first time the manager has led Chelsea into a London Derby. Pochettino previously managed Spurs, where he racked up a 4W-7D-4L record against the Gunners.

Mikel Arteta, on the other hand, has a brilliant record against Chelsea as Arsenal manager. He won six games, drew one match, and lost two fixtures versus the Blues in nine tries.

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou faced off against Fulham in the Carabao Cup, losing the match on penalties. Fulham’s Marco Silva does not have a good record against Spurs. He claimed just one win in eight tries, losing four times and drawing on three occasions.

Top goal scorers in London Derbies

Former Chelsea player Didier Drogba holds the record for scoring the most goals in matches involving the Blues and Arsenal. The striker bagged 13 goals during his time at Stamford Bridge. Thierry Henry managed 10 goals for the Gunners in matches versus Chelsea.

Harry Kane bagged eight career goals against Fulham during his time at Tottenham. However, he doesn’t hold the record for the most goals in matches featuring Spurs and Fulham. Spurs legend Cliff Jones scored 13 times against the Cottagers during his career.