PREMIER LEAGUE 2026/27 · MATCHDAY 3

Arsenal vs Chelsea: London Derby Brings Xabi Alonsos First Real Test

Mikel Artetas champions welcome London rivals Chelsea to the Emirates looking to maintain a perfect start, while Xabi Alonso takes his rebuilding project to north London after a busy summer of transfer business and a fresh start following Chelseas disappointing 10th-place finish last season.

Date: Sunday, September 6, 2026 Kick-off: 16:30 BST Venue: Emirates Stadium, London
Premier League MD3
Competition & round
10th (2025-26)
Chelseas final league position
$465m spent
Chelseas summer transfer outlay

The Storylines

Arsenal arrive at this London derby unbeaten through the opening rounds of their title defence, having already beaten newly-promoted Coventry City at home and taken points off Europa League winners Aston Villa on the road. Mikel Artetas side will see this as a chance to continue building momentum against a Chelsea team still finding its feet under a new manager.

Xabi Alonsos Chelsea reign begins in earnest after the Spaniards short and underwhelming spell at Real Madrid, where he was replaced by Jose Mourinho over the summer. Alonso signed a four-year deal at Stamford Bridge and inherits a Chelsea side that finished a disappointing 10th last season and will play no European football this term — giving the new manager a rare, uninterrupted run at the Premier League table to work with.

Team Snapshot

Arsenal

Arsenal enter the season as champions for the first time since 2004 and have backed that up with a busy summer window headlined by the £75m signing of Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United, alongside Christos Tzolis and a permanent deal for Piero Hincapie. With Bukayo Saka back among the starters and the squad deeper than in previous seasons, Artetas side head into the derby full of confidence.

Chelsea

Chelsea have spent roughly $465m on ten new players this summer, led by the £117m arrival of Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa — the headline signing of the Alonso era. Maxence Lacroix, Marco Palestra, Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck have also arrived, while the club recouped funds by selling Marc Cucurella (to Real Madrid), Trevoh Chalobah, Andrey Santos and Tyrique George. Alonso has experimented with a fluid 3-4-3 in pre-season, looking to blend his Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid principles with Chelseas talented, youthful squad.

Players to Watch

PlayerTeamWhy he matters
Bruno GuimaraesArsenal£75m marquee summer signing, adding control and physicality in midfield
Bukayo SakaArsenalBack among the starters and central to Arsenals attacking threat
Morgan RogersChelsea£117m club-record signing, expected to start immediately on the wing
Cole PalmerChelseaChelseas talisman, aiming to return to top form after a World Cup absence through injury

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