Kai Havertz started for the west Londoners, while Kepa Arrizabalaga was on the bench.
asserted
Arrizabalaga → start → bench
Jorginho, who featured in midfield for Chelsea that day, has also been and gone at the Emirates Stadium in the period since.
asserted
who → feature → period
With Gabriel Martinelli leaving north London this week, there is just a sole survivor left from that match for the reigning Premier League champions.
asserted
Martinelli → leave → champions
If the current crop of defenders offer something close to an impregnable shield for David Raya's goal, the backline five years ago was more of an ageing shed door, the kind vulnerable to being swung open by a gust of wind.
asserted
backline → offer → wind
Arteta lined up with Rob Holding and Pablo Mari as his centre-backs, with Cedric Soares and Kieran Tierney at full-back.
asserted
Arteta → line → back
Chelsea, unsurprisingly, enjoyed plenty of joy but Sunday's clash will be a very different affair.
asserted
clash → enjoy → joy
Two clean sheets from two at the start of the Premier League season have come with the added detail of Coventry and Aston Villa mustering a single shot on target between them.
asserted
Coventry → come → them
In Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Joao Pedro, today’s visitors have one of the most potent attacks in the league.
asserted
visitors → have → league
How that trio fare against the home side’s brick wall will be fascinating.
asserted
fare → fare → wall
It is further up the pitch, though, where the opportunity for an Arsenal player to stamp their authority on the derby feels most important.
asserted
player → stamp → derby
In that 2021 match, he started on the left wing, an intriguing side note considering the discussion around Arsenal's options on that flank.
asserted
he → start → flank
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After a summer in which Arsenal targeted but failed to land a top-class forward, Saka could be forgiven for finding recent debates fairly irritating.
uncertain
debates → read → forward
The consensus has been that this is a side lacking in a genuine superstar in attack, one who can produce the consistent numbers in front of goal to ensure the defensive crutch is not always required.
asserted
crutch → lack → goal
Asked on Friday whether his side had a world-class attacker, Arteta was not particularly convincing in suggesting he thought the answer was yes.
asserted
answer → ask → attacker
"I love my players, that's all I can say," he said.
asserted
he → love → players
"In that bracket, how you want to put them, I don't know."
Saka will believe that is the category he belongs in.
asserted
he → want → them
Thierry Henry certainly does, telling the winger on Monday night that he is waiting for him to deliver 15 goals and 15 assists in the same Premier League season.
asserted
him → tell → season
That was after Saka scored the only goal against Aston Villa, backing up his finish on the opening night win over Coventry.
asserted
Saka → score → Coventry
The 25-year-old has shaken off the Achilles injury that impacted him last season and over the summer at the World Cup.
asserted
that → shake → Cup
Interestingly, both goals came from him drifting into the six-yard box to meet crosses or loose balls.
asserted
him → come → crosses
That poacher's instinct would be a welcome string to add to his bow should it become a consistent feature.
asserted
it → add → bow
Saka looks sharp and particularly motivated, keen to put those frustrations behind him.
asserted
Saka → look → him
Arteta sensed as much from the first day of his pre-season.
asserted
Arteta → sense → season
"I noticed that straight away," Arteta said.
asserted
Arteta → notice → that
"This happens in your career and you need certain motivation, or a little pinch sometimes, to take it to a different level.
asserted
you → happen → level
"And there are really good signs that Bukayo is giving to think that is going to be the case."
asserted
that → be → that
Since that defeat to Chelsea in 2021, Saka has faced the Blues nine times and scored just once.
asserted
Saka → face → 2021
However, he will fancy his chances against Xabi Alonso's side, who look potent up front but generous opponents at the back.
asserted
who → fancy → back
Fulham scored two on the opening weekend, Brighton three a week later.
asserted
Brighton → score → weekend
The three-at-the-back system should offer space for Saka to exploit out wide, even if Jorrel Hato looks likely to start as a more defensive wing-back option.
asserted
Hato → offer → option
It is no surprise that Saka's strong form early in the season has come with familiar faces around him.
asserted
form → come → him
Ben White, who he has an almost telepathic relationship with, has started every match behind him at right-back.
asserted
he → have → back
Arsenal did not make a transformational attacking signing this summer and so the solutions must be internal ones.
asserted
solutions → make → signing
Saka is the obvious one, the player perhaps most capable of elevating his level from recent seasons.
asserted
Saka → elevate → seasons
In the 2024-25 season, he scored six league goals.
asserted
he → score → goals
If he stays fit, those totals can be surpassed and significantly so.
asserted
totals → stay → ?
Sunday's match is a big one so early in the season and a chance for Saka to get one over his international team-mates Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers, who Arsenal were so keen to sign earlier in the summer.
asserted
Arsenal → get → summer
Asked this week what he thought of the new-look Chelsea side, Saka commented: "We'll see on Sunday."
asserted
We → ask → Sunday
Arsenal need their starboy to become a talisman.
asserted
starboy → need → ?
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