SOCCER: Arsenal look for back-to-back London derby wins with City breathing down their neck

The last time Arsenal beat Chelsea three times in a single season was also the last time they won the Premier League, in 2003-04. While one does not necessarily guarantee the other, Arsenal head into Sunday’s clash desperate for a win to keep Manchester City at bay.

The Gunners, who finished second in the past three seasons, have struggled under the pressure of this year’s title race, settling for back-to-back draws against Brentford and bottom side Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier this month.

Last weekend, Arsenal bounced back with a commanding 4-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur. But anything less than three points against Chelsea will risk allowing City, five points behind with a game in hand, to close the gap at the top.

City, meanwhile, visit a stubborn Leeds side on Saturday, who nearly held them to a draw in November. Any misstep by either of the top two teams could give Aston Villa—a club sitting five points below City before Friday’s visit to Wolves—a chance to re-enter the title race, with 10 matches remaining after this weekend.

Arsenal’s Challenge Against Chelsea

Sunday’s North London derby win provided a much-needed boost for Arsenal. Another victory over their West London rivals would further consolidate their title charge.

Fifth-placed Chelsea have not beaten Arsenal since 2021 and lost both legs of their League Cup semi-final tie in January-February. However, Chelsea did hold Arsenal to a league draw in November, despite playing most of the match with 10 men.

Arsenal have also stumbled recently when hosting top-six clubs, drawing with Liverpool and losing to Manchester United last month. Avoiding the ignominy of losing three times in a season to their local rivals will be a key motivator, especially for Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior, who has kept his side unbeaten against all teams except Arsenal since taking charge last month.

City Visit Stubborn Leeds

Since January, five of the current top-six teams in the league have faced lowly Leeds, and all except Arsenal ended up with just one point.

Leeds, 15th in the table and six points clear of the relegation zone, began the calendar year with back-to-back draws against Liverpool and Manchester United. In their last two league matches, they held Chelsea and Aston Villa to draws.

Manchester City aim to extend a five-match winning streak in all competitions when they visit Leeds on Saturday. But even City had to fight for victory in November, when Leeds staged a second-half comeback to threaten a 2-2 draw before Phil Foden scored an added-time winner.

Under Daniel Farke, promoted in the summer, Leeds have proven stubborn and will be determined to stretch their unbeaten streak to five games against City.

Spurs Seek Urgent Turnaround at Fulham

Tottenham Hotspur are the only team without a league win in 2026. Sitting just four points above the relegation zone, their nine-match winless streak has become a critical obstacle for newly appointed manager Igor Tudor.

Tudor’s tenure began poorly with a home loss to Arsenal, prompting him to criticise his players’ confidence.

“Where is the goal? What is the level? Today, totally different worlds. I need to be honest. Two totally different psychological and physical worlds,” Tudor said.

Spurs have collected only two points in their last five league games, while three of the four teams below them have earned five points or more. The urgency grows as they visit 10th-placed Fulham on Sunday.

“What is the goal of this team? What is this goal of this coach, these players, this staff? To become serious. Serious, not just a group of 20 players,” Tudor added.

-Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha; editing by Pritha Sarkar/Reuters