Gary Neville has shared his expectations for the marquee match in the third round of the Premier League between Arsenal and Chelsea. The Sky Sports pundit forecasts a 2-0 win for the reigning champions.
Both sides have started the season with two wins apiece. Earlier, Neville had placed Arsenal and Chelsea in the top two spots in his predicted final table for the Premier League.
Speaking about the encounter, Neville commented:
I think Arsenal understand that Chelsea have stronger attacking players than Aston Villa, so they'll need to be on their toes constantly.
However, I consider Villa to be the most organised team in the league after Arsenal. Unai Emery's side is very well prepared. Chelsea, on the other hand, aren’t as organised or disciplined as yet.
They won’t defend with the same structure as Villa, so I believe Arsenal will look at their attacking opportunities with much more optimism. That said, they must remember that Chelsea have fantastic attacking talents.
Neville identified the clash at Emirates Stadium as the first serious test for Xabi Alonso's team:
Chelsea have looked vibrant in their first two matches, but now they face their biggest test – a game against the champions, who make very few mistakes.
This match will say a lot about where Arsenal and Chelsea currently stand because I’ve placed them first and second on my list.
Making his prediction on The Overlap, Neville stated confidently:
Let’s go with 2-0 in favour of Arsenal. I think they’ll be fully charged up, playing powerfully and very aggressively.
The match between Arsenal and Chelsea is set to take place on Sunday at the Emirates.
