"My gut is telling me" - West Ham star Michail Antonio makes score prediction for Chelsea v Arsenal

West Ham United striker Michail Antonio has backed Chelsea to win their upcoming Premier League encounter against Arsenal on Saturday, October 21. The Jamaica international has predicted a 1-0 scoreline in favor of the Blues at Stamford Bridge despite the Gunners' excellent form this season.

Antonio said on BBC's The Players Channel podcast (as quoted by Football.London):

"My gut is telling me Chelsea win you know, mystic Mike is throwing it up there. Chelsea win 1-0.”

Mikel Arteta's men have had an excellent start to the 2023-24 Premier League campaign and are unbeaten after eight games. The Gunners are second in the league standings with six wins, including their 1-0 victory over Manchester City prior to the international break.

The north London outfit have carried over their stellar form from last season when they dominated the top of the league. Arsenal proved to be fierce competitors against Pep Guardiola's side in the title race. However, they suffered a string of losses in the final stretch of the campaign, leading to Manchester City defending their crown.

Arsenal are level on points with league leaders Tottenham Hotspur, who have scored two more goals than their north London rivals this term.

Chelsea, meanwhile, have been in abysmal form this season under Mauricio Pochettino. The Blues are 11th in the league table after winning just three of their eight encounters.

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"Inconsistency at the top level" - Former Chelsea star says Arsenal summer signing's arrival has 'created issues'

Former Chelsea star Frank Leboeuf has slammed Arsenal forward Kai Havertz for his inconsistent performances since his arrival at the Emirates. The Frenchman insists that the Gunners created issues for themselves after signing the Germany international.

The north London outfit secured Havertz's services from Chelsea this summer for £65 million. He is yet to impress at the club after recording a goal and an assist each in 12 matches across all competitions.

The former Bayer Leverkusen star has received some criticism as a result, and Leboeuf has not let him off the hook. He believes that Arsenal don't need Havertz in their ranks, adding that the German has the same problems he had at the West London outfit.

Leboeuf told Metro:

"That guy’s an enigma, we don’t know where to put him. That’s the problem, his inconsistency at the top level. Everything was organised very well at Arsenal last season. We knew the midfielders, we knew the strikers, everything. And because of his price tag, you have to play him but that’s disorganised the team."

He added:

"You don’t need him up front. In the middle of the park, because you have [Martin] Odegaard you need two strong midfielders to get the ball back. So, you don’t need him. So, you have created issues and problems because you hired him. He has a talent for sure when he’s at his best. But right now, he’s more a problem than a solution."

Havertz scored 32 goals and provided 15 assists in 139 games for Chelsea before his move this summer.