Pre-season preparations continue for two of the Premier League’s biggest clubs on Sunday afternoon as Arsenal and Chelsea meet at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners and the Blues are part of the Mind Series alongside Tottenham Hotspur, playing each other in a pre-season tournament with funds raised going to mental health charity Mind, and the club’s foundations.
With Covid making international travel difficult, and a risk largely not worth taking for clubs, the London clubs are staying local and taking on their Premier League rivals in pre-season.
Arsenal vs Chelsea team news
Ben White has completed his move to Arsenal from Brighton and has already trained with his new teammates, but he is unlikely to start on Sunday.
However, Gunners fans will get to see other new signings Nuno Tavares and Sambi Lokonga who have already featured in pre-season and are likely to again this weekend.
Chelsea were without any players that played at Euro 2020 in their win over Bournemouth earlier in the week, but the likes of Kai Havertz, Timo Werner and N’Golo Kante are all back at the club now after their breaks
Arsenal starting lineup (4-2-3-1):
Leno | Tierney, Mari, Holding, Chambers | Partey, Elneny | Aubameyang, Smith-Rowe, Pépé | Lacazette
Substitutes from: Runarsson, Okonkwo, Bellerin, Cedric, Kolašinac, Maitland-Niles, White, Tavares, Lokonga, Xhaka, Nelson, Willock, Nketiah, Willian
Chelsea starting lineup (3-4-3):
Mendy | Rüdiger (c), Chalobah, Zouma | Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Kovačić, Hudson-Odoi | Werner, Havertz, Ziyech
Substitutes from: Arrizabalaga, Bettinelli, Sterling, Zappacosta, Sarr, Clarke-Salter, Baba, Drinkwater, Kanté, Barkley, Abraham, Batshuayi
Date / Time: Sunday, August 1, 2021, 15.00 BST; 10am EDT; 7:30pm IST
Venue: Emirates Stadium, London, England
Streaming: Chelsea website & The 5th Stand App — the match costs £7.99/$10.99 to watch, half of which will be donated to charities. As usual, get there early to avoid delays and disappointment.