Chelsea urged to stretch Arsenal defence in Emirates showdown

Chelsea have been told to attack Arsenal’s full-backs and force them away from their preferred central positions when the two sides meet in Sunday’s Premier League derby at Emirates Stadium.

Both teams have made perfect starts to the 2026/27 season, with Chelsea and defending champions Arsenal each winning their opening two matches. However, former Chelsea captain John Terry believes Arsenal’s defensive strength could be tested if Xabi Alonso’s side can exploit the space in wide areas.

Arsenal have kept clean sheets in victories over Coventry City and Aston Villa, while Mikel Arteta has selected the same back four for both matches. William Saliba remains injured, and Arteta is expected to retain that defensive line against Alonso, who is an old friend of the Arsenal manager.

Chelsea have not been as convincing defensively in their opening fixtures. Alonso’s side conceded twice against Fulham before securing victory and then allowed Brighton & Hove Albion to score three times at Stamford Bridge. Despite those concerns, Chelsea also came through both matches with maximum points.

Terry believes Chelsea should avoid becoming frustrated by Arsenal’s organisation and instead use their pace and attacking movement to draw Ben White and Riccardo Calafiori into unfamiliar areas.

"How do you expose these centre halves? Down the channels and down the outside, where I think we’re really strong in terms of Neto, Estevao and Morgan Rogers. I think is going to be real key.

"If you get to 60, 70 minutes, you want to drag the centre backs out of those central positions where they’re really comfortable and protected.

"As soon as you get pulled into those wide areas, it feels very alien and you feel a little bit more exposed.

"The more we do that on the counter attack, I think we give ourselves a chance because Ben White and Calafiori both attack and end up in those kinds of inverted pockets.

"I think the space where they can expose them is going to be going forward high and wide."

The former England defender’s assessment centres on Chelsea’s potential threat on the flanks, with Neto, Estevao and Morgan Rogers identified as players capable of attacking the spaces outside Arsenal’s central defenders.

Terry also suggested Chelsea could become more dangerous as the match develops. If Arsenal’s defenders are repeatedly pulled away from their central positions, particularly during counter-attacks, their usual protection and compactness could be weakened.

White and Calafiori are also expected to contribute aggressively when Arsenal have possession, moving forward and occupying inverted positions. Terry believes that attacking instinct may leave room for Chelsea to exploit behind or around them.

The match brings together two sides who have both begun the campaign with a 100% winning record, but with contrasting defensive narratives. Arsenal’s early form has been built on clean sheets, while Chelsea have collected victories despite conceding goals.

For Alonso’s team, the challenge will be to turn Terry’s tactical suggestion into an effective game plan against an Arsenal side that has so far remained unbeaten and defensively disciplined.