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Gameweek 2 of the English Premier League begins on Saturday, 18 August 2018, and it features a marquee clash between Chelsea and Arsenal - a London derby. As a preview to the match on Saturday, it's time for some analysis and predictions.
Here, we look at three reasons why Chelsea, who are hosting the match at Stamford Bridge, are likely to win against Arsenal.
#3. History
It can't be denied that history sometimes offers a strong insight into the future, and that the past can be a reliable predictor of what the future will be. And history seems to be on Chelsea's side come Saturday.
Chelsea have played Arsenal on 162 occasions in the Premier League and have won on 51 occasions while losing 62 times. While this may seem to suggest that Arsenal have an upper hand over Chelsea, the recent history of the two clubs suggests otherwise.
For a long time, Arsenal held an upper hand over Chelsea, but Chelsea have gained a huge competitive advantage in recent times.
Since the 2008 season, Chelsea have won 11 out of their 20 league matches against Arsenal, lost four times against them, and have drawn on five occasions. The most damning of all is the fact that the last time Arsenal won against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge was way back in the 2011/2012 season.
Given Chelsea's strong history against Arsenal, especially at Stamford Bridge in the last 10 years, the best that Arsenal can possibly hope for on Saturday is a draw.
#2. Momentum
Another thing going for Chelsea is the strong start and momentum they have garnered after their impressive win against Huddersfield at the start of the season. Arsenal, on the other hand, lost their first Premier League match against Manchester City.
The loss against City must have been a major blow to their confidence going into Saturday's match, while Chelsea, on the other hand, will be playing with tremendous confidence after their dominant performance last weekend.
Between the two sides, Chelsea will obviously have players riding a much bigger wave of momentum.
#1. The Hazard factor
Eden Hazard has proved to be Arsenal's nemesis ever since he joined Chelsea in 2012. He has played 16 matches against Arsenal in all competitions, and has won on seven occasions, drawn on five, and lost on only four occasions.
Hazard has scored a total of five goals against Arsenal. In the Premier League, he has scored 4 times in the 12 matches he has played against Arsenal.
If he plays in Saturday's match, he is likely to increase his goal tally and tilt the result even more in Chelsea's favor.
My final prediction: The home team are likely to come out on top in Saturday's clash, with a 3-1 win over Arsenal.
