Frank Christian
The rivalry between Arsenal and Chelsea has intensified during the Premier League era, especially notable from the famous encounters between Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho.
With Mourinho’s arrival at Chelsea, the club quickly became a formidable contender for the Premier League title alongside Wenger’s Arsenal and Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United.
Recent matches between Arsenal and Chelsea have often served as key indicators of Arsenal’s growth, challenging their resilience in high-stakes games.
Though both Wenger and Mourinho have moved on, the rivalry remains fierce. Recently, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal achieved their largest competitive victory over Chelsea, winning 5-0 during the 2023/24 season, a clear sign of shifting dynamics.
As they prepare to face each other on November 10, both Arteta’s Arsenal and Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea find themselves with equal points in the league, making this match crucial for evaluating their objectives this season.
History of Chelsea vs. Arsenal
While Mourinho had success against Arsenal, the overall record favors the Gunners, who have a greater number of wins in their encounters.
Since their first meeting in 1907, Arsenal and Chelsea have squared off 209 times, with Arsenal winning 84, Chelsea 66, and 59 matches ending in a draw.
*Statistics reflect data as of November 10, 2024
| Competition | Matches | Arsenal Wins | Chelsea Wins | Draws |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| League (Old First/Premier League) | 174 | 70 | 54 | 50 |
| FA Cup | 21 | 10 | 5 | 6 |
| EFL Cup | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| Community Shield | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| UEFA Champions League | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| UEFA Europa League | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 209 | 84 | 66 | 59 |
Arsenal vs. Chelsea in the Premier League
In their 63 Premier League matches, Arsenal has the upper hand over Chelsea with 27 victories against Chelsea’s 20, while the remaining 17 matches ended in ties.
Before the era under Roman Abramovich starting in 2003/04, Arsenal triumphed in 13 out of 23 league encounters against Chelsea.
During his tenure, Mourinho remained unbeaten against Arsenal in eight matches, with iconic goals from players like Didier Drogba and Michael Essien.
Drogba continued to be a significant thorn in Arsenal’s side even after Mourinho’s departure and return to Chelsea.
Didier Drogba scoring against Arsenal#GoalOfTheDay @ChelseaFC pic.twitter.com/sFRRSlDohM
— Premier League (@premierleague) June 29, 2020
Since Arteta took over, Arsenal’s fortunes against Chelsea have improved, even after losing his first home fixture to the Blues in December 2019.
Following that loss, Arsenal has only been defeated once by Chelsea across all competitions, including the 2019 FA Cup final, and they have achieved three successive Premier League wins against them before a 2-2 draw in October 2023.
Their overwhelming 5-0 win at the Emirates Stadium in April 2024 may have contributed to Mauricio Pochettino’s departure from his role as Chelsea head coach.
Arsenal vs. Chelsea in the FA Cup
In FA Cup matchups within the Premier League era, Arsenal has historically performed better against Chelsea with eight total encounters.
In 2002, Wenger’s squad accomplished a league and cup double, with an FA Cup triumph secured against Chelsea, thanks to goals from Ray Parlour and Freddie Ljungberg.
Why pass when you can do this…?#OnThisDay in 2002, @freddie goes it alone to seal the FA Cup for @Arsenal pic.twitter.com/vsMBBHJqzB
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) May 4, 2020
However, in 2009, Chelsea got their revenge by eliminating Arsenal in the semifinals, but Arsenal struck back by winning again in 2017 and 2020.
Aaron Ramsey’s late goal secured Wenger’s last trophy as Arsenal manager in 2017, while Arteta achieved his first title as head coach with a victory over Frank Lampard in the 2020 FA Cup.
Arsenal vs. Chelsea in Europe
The two clubs have clashed three times in European competitions, with Chelsea winning in both the UEFA Champions League and Europa League encounters.
In the 2003/04 season, during Abramovich’s first season at Chelsea, they narrowly advanced past Arsenal, winning 3-2 on aggregate in the quarterfinals.
Despite Arsenal’s star-studded squad, the ‘Invincibles’ could not outperform Chelsea in the Champions League, with Wayne Bridge scoring the decisive goal in the second leg.
OTD in 2004, Wayne Bridge sent the away end wild at Highbury!
A classic all-London Champions League quarter-final
Arsenal v Chelsea highlights | 6pm | BT Sport 3 HD pic.twitter.com/EJ7ppkNTzU
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 6, 2020
In the 2019 Europa League final, Chelsea dominated Arsenal, winning decisively 4-1 in Baku.
On this day in 2019, @hazardeden10 dazzled fans as @ChelseaFC triumphed over Arsenal with a 4-1 victory, clinching the #UEL title. Check out the moment here: pic.twitter.com/QbzVY9SHqE
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) May 29, 2020
Trophy Comparison: Arsenal vs. Chelsea
While Arsenal leads with a higher count of overall First Division/Premier League titles, Chelsea has secured more recent league victories, having won five Premier League titles compared to Arsenal’s three.
Arsenal boasts the most FA Cup wins with 14 titles, underscoring their domestic prowess. In contrast, Chelsea’s two UEFA Champions League titles highlight Arsenal’s challenges on the European stage.
| First Division | Premier League | FA Cup | EFL Cup | Charity/Community Shield | UEFA Champions League | Europa League | UEFA Super Cup | European Cup Winners’ Cup | FIFA Club World Cup | |
| Arsenal | 10 | 3 | 14 | 2 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Chelsea | 1 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
