Both Chelsea and Arsenal could be without significant players in Sunday's head-to-head, with doubts over the fitness of Cole Palmer and Declan Rice.
How did Palmer get injured and what did Maresca say?
Palmer suffered an injury in last Sunday's 1-1 draw with Manchester United from a challenge by Lisandro Martinez.
"Cole is getting better, but because he can walk and have dinner doesn’t mean he is completely fit," Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca said in his pre-match press conference.
"He is getting better and we still have two days to prepare for the game. Hopefully, we can have him for a session - at least on Saturday - and then we take a decision."
How did Rice get injured and what did Arteta say?
Rice, meanwhile, injured his foot in Arsenal's defeat to Newcastle United last Saturday and as a result missed the loss to Internazionale on Wednesday in the UEFA Champions League.
"I have to be very vague on that one because there’s no clarity on whether he’s going to be fit for the weekend," Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said in his press conference.
When asked if Rice has a broken toe, Arteta added: "That's for the doctor, what I can say is that he hasn't trained yet and it is not clear whether he’s going to be available or not to play."
Palmer's impact at Chelsea
The 22-year-old has been one of the stars of the Premier League since joining Chelsea from Manchester City last summer.
No Chelsea player has scored more goals, assisted more goals, had more shots, or created more chances in the Premier League than Palmer since the start of 2023/24.
Among ALL Premier League players, only Erling Haaland can beat his 29 goals in that time.
Palmer's stats since joining Chelsea
| Statistic | Total | Chelsea rank | PL rank |
| Goals | 29 | 1st | 2nd |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assists | 16 | 1st | =1st |
| Shots | 141 | 1st | 2nd |
| Shots on target | 58 | 1st | 3rd |
| Chances created | 100 | 1st | 5th |
| Succ. passes into final third | 621 | 1st | 14th |
| Through-balls | 34 | 1st | =2nd |
| Passes played into box | 250 | 1st | 11th |
| Duels won | 148 | 6th | 92nd |
| Dribbles completed | 65 | 1st | 10th |
| Touches in opp. box | 173 | 2nd | 26th |
| Fouls won | 51 | 3rd | 28th |
Rice's impact at Arsenal
Being without Rice would be a huge blow for Arsenal on Sunday.
Since joining the club from West Ham United last summer, few Arsenal players have outperformed him in a number of statistics.
The 25-year-old leads the way for tackles, interceptions, distance covered and progressive carries.
And only one midfielder in the Premier League has run more than him since the start of 2023/24.
Rice's stats since joining Arsenal
| Statistic | Total | Arsenal rank | Central midfielder rank |
| Matches played | 47 | =1st | =2nd |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mins. played | 3,994 | 2nd | 2nd |
| Goals | 7 | 6th | =11th |
| Assists | 9 | 3rd | =8th |
| Goals and assists | 16 | 4th | =8th |
| Chances created (inc. assists) | 61 | 3rd | =16th |
| Chances created from set-pieces | 23 | 6th | =8th |
| Successful passes | 2,351 | 3rd | 4th |
| Succesful passes in opp. half | 1,362 | 1st | 3rd |
| Dribbles completed | 26 | 6th | =27th |
| Progressive carries | 405 | 1st | 2nd |
| Tackles | 94 | 1st | 12th |
| Interceptions | 53 | 1st | 6th |
| Possession won | 223 | 2nd | 13th |
| Distance (km) | 507.4 | 1st | 2nd |
