Arsenal look for back-to-back London derby wins with Manchester City breathing down their neck in EPL

LONDON – The last time Arsenal beat Chelsea three times in the same season was also the last time they won the English Premier League, in 2003-04.

And while one may not necessarily lead to the other, the Gunners are going into their March 1 clash against the Blues desperate for a win to keep Manchester City at bay.

Arsenal, who finished second in the last three seasons, have struggled with the pressure of the title race in this campaign as well, after back-to-back draws at Brentford and bottom-side Wolverhampton Wanderers in February.

They bounced back with a 4-1 away win over Tottenham Hotspur on Feb 22, but anything less than three points against Chelsea will put them at risk of City – who are five points behind with a game in hand – closing the gap.

City, meanwhile, are visiting a stubborn Leeds United side who almost held them to a draw in November.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta insisted his team are determined not to finish second again.

“When you finish like this you only want to be first, imagine how the rest of the teams are. (We need to) try to get better, try to excel,” he said.

“I think what it is about the confidence and the preparation. Play with the belief and the conviction that you are going to do it.”

He also suggested that he will again depend on striker Viktor Gyokeres, who scored a brace against Spurs.

“Well I think one thing leads to another. The performances are good... He is an incredible striker. He needs to understand the team (and) the league better.”

Arsenal’s win over Spurs in the north London derby provided a much-needed boost and a win over west London-based rivals Chelsea will further consolidate their title charge.

Fifth-placed Chelsea have not beaten Arsenal since 2021 and lost in both legs of their League Cup semi-final tie this season, but had held Arteta’s men to a league draw in November despite playing most of the game with 10 men.

Arsenal also stumbled the last two times they hosted a club currently in the top six, sharing the points with Liverpool and losing to Manchester United in January.

Avoiding the ignominy of losing three times in a season to their local rivals will also fuel Liam Rosenior, who has kept Chelsea unbeaten against all teams except Arsenal after taking charge in January.

Since January, five of the current top-six teams in the league have faced Leeds and everyone except Arsenal ended up with one point.

Leeds, 15th in the table and six points above the relegation zone, began the calendar year with back-to-back draws against Liverpool and United, and in their last two league matches they have held Chelsea and Aston Villa.

The other team in the top six, City, will visit Leeds looking to extend a five-match winning streak in all competitions and keep up the pressure on leaders Arsenal.

But even City had to sweat when visitors Leeds had sprung a second-half comeback to threaten a 2-2 draw in November, before Phil Foden rescued Pep Guardiola’s side with an added-time winner.

Daniel Farke’s charges have been nothing if not stubborn and will be up for a battle to extend their unbeaten streak to five games when they host City on Feb 28.

“It’s a big challenge for us and a big task, but it’s one we are looking forward to. They are in red-hot form and we have an underdog role – we have to take it,” said the Leeds boss.

Spurs are the only team without a league win in 2026 and as they sit just four points above the relegation zone, their nine-match winless streak in the top flight has become a critical roadblock to overcome for newly appointed manager Igor Tudor.

Tudor’s tenure got off to an inauspicious start as Spurs lost at home to Arsenal, leading him to criticise his players’ lack of confidence.

“(The job is) very tough. So daily work, focus on all things we need to do – physical condition, mental condition, performance and waiting on (injured) players to come back,” he said. “So we need to be focused on us, what we can do, less thinking about others.”

Tottenham have picked up only two points in their last five league games, adding to Tudor’s urgency when his team visit 10th-placed Fulham on March 1. REUTERS