Stamford Bridge Stadium: A tough challenge for visiting team Arsenal.

This is the first time in history that Unai Emery and Maurizio Sarri have faced each other. Meanwhile, the two most recent encounters at Stamford Bridge ended in a goalless draw.

In their most recent encounters across all competitions, Arsenal have won one match, with the remaining five ending in draws. The two teams recently drew 1-1 in a friendly match at the ICC 2018 on August 2nd.

In the Premier League, Chelsea secured a 3-0 victory against Huddersfield in their opening match of the season, while Arsenal suffered a 0-2 defeat to Man City at the Emirates in their inaugural game.

Similarities

This season, Arsenal and Chelsea have a lot in common. Both London clubs have just appointed new managers, dropped down to the Europa League instead of the Champions League, and set the goal of returning to the top four in the Premier League.

The opening matches of the season will help the two managers decide on their priorities for this first season. In reality, few teams can afford to stretch their resources playing in the Europa League while also aiming for a top-four finish in the Premier League.

If manager Emery suffers another defeat in the London derby on August 18th, the pressure will be immense. (Image: Internet)

In the 2015/16 season, Liverpool competed for the league title against Sevilla, but at the cost of finishing 8th in the domestic league. A year later, Manchester United won the Europa League, but then dropped to 6th in the Premier League.

Because Unai Emery was appointed early to replace Wenger, the 46-year-old manager had over two months to "refresh" Arsenal. He made three new signings: Stephan Lichtsteiner, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, and Lucas Torreira. The Gunners had a very good preparation in their friendly matches: a 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid and a crushing 5-1 victory over PSG.

Emery's team had an excellent start and are fully ready for the new season by defeating Chelsea to win the 2018 International Champions Cup after a tense penalty shootout (the two halves ended in a 1-1 draw).

In last weekend's match against Man City, manager Emery shocked everyone by benching two new signings, midfielder Lucas Torreira and goalkeeper Bernd Leno. Arsenal's midfield was completely ineffective against City, with Granit Xhaka performing poorly and Matteo Guendouzi making several mistakes on his Premier League debut.

In goal, goalkeeper Petr Cech also lacks reliability and frequently makes mistakes when handling the ball with his feet. Arsenal fans have reason to worry, especially after manager Emery stated he still trusts Petr Cech when facing Chelsea.

Differences in skill level and experience.

Unable to sign a creative midfielder, Arsenal opted to officially extend Mesut Ozil's contract and increase the German player's salary to £300,000 per week.

Manager Emery believes he knows how to "refresh" Mesut Ozil, a favorite of manager Wenger. Emery hopes the German player, along with Mkhitaryan and Ramsey, will be able to counter the three-man midfield in Stamford Bridge's 4-3-3 formation.

Arsenal extended Mesut Ozil's contract and increased his salary to £300,000 per week just before the London derby. (Image: Internet)

Meanwhile, Antonio Conte's dismissal had been predicted beforehand, but due to complications in compensation, Chelsea only sacked Conte and appointed Maurizio Sarri as his replacement in early July.

Because of this, Sarri himself didn't have as much time to prepare for the new season as he did when he worked at Napoli. The only thing he managed to do was bring along Brazilian midfielder Jorginho, his favorite pupil at Napoli.

Upon joining Stamford Bridge, the 59-year-old manager inherited a squad that included experienced Premier League players such as Cahill, Fabregas, and David Luiz.

The home team's midfield boasts world-class names like Kante, Hazard, Willian, and a number of promising young talents such as Ross Barley, Danny Drinkwater, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Perhaps the most disappointing aspect is that midfielder Cesc Fabregas is at risk of missing the London Derby against Arsenal due to a knee injury.

In the opening match, Jorginho made a strong impression playing like a "master" on the pitch. He was involved in most of Chelsea's attacking moves with the highest pass completion rate on the field (93.9%).

This season, Kante has been given a new role; he's no longer a defensive midfielder but plays as a right-sided winger in a 4-3-3 formation. The Frenchman adapted very quickly and seems to enjoy being allowed to play more attacking football. Immediately, the 27-year-old midfielder scored the opening goal for Chelsea against Huddersfield.

After the defeat against Man City, manager Emery and his players must face Chelsea with the determination not to lose. Another defeat in the London derby on August 18th would put immense pressure on Emery, as he risked being left behind by the "big six".