Paul Merson highlights the main advantage Chelsea have over Arsenal ahead of weekend clash

The most anticipated Premier League fixture of the upcoming gameweek will see Arsenal and Chelsea face off at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, October 21. Ahead of the encounter, Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson has identified one major advantage the Blues have over their London rivals.

The Gunners currently sit second in the league table with 20 points from eight games, having recorded six victories and two draws. The Blues, meanwhile, are 11th with 11 points after bagging three victories, two draws and three defeats.

Judging by their numbers and position in the table, one could easily conclude that Mikel Arteta's men will enter the fixture with the upper hand. However, Paul Merson has a different idea.

Surprisingly, the pundit believes the Blues have a major advantage over their local rivals in that there's uncertainty over what their line-up could look like. He explained to Sky Sports:

“Many of the players will get back on Tuesday, have a recovery session and then just have Thursday and Friday to prepare for such a huge game. It will come down to who can adapt better and get up to speed quickly after they return to their clubs.

“One advantage Chelsea will have is that we virtually know what the Arsenal team is going to be. On the other hand, we have no idea what the Chelsea team will be.”

The Blues will enter the fixture with a rising morale after winning each of their last three games across all fronts. Arsenal will also be eager to build on their momentum after beating Manchester City 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium in their last game.

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How Arsenal and Chelsea fared against each other in recent games

Arsenal have enjoyed tremendous success over Chelsea in recent times. Over the course of their last five meetings across competitions, the Gunners have come out victorious on four occasions while the Blues could only record one win.

If we stretch it five games further back, Mikel Arteta's would still have the bragging rights as their record would be seven wins from 10 matches. The Blues have just two wins with both sides drawing once.

Will the Gunners continue with their dominance over the Pensioners or will Pochettino's men find a way to break the spell this time? Let's wait and see.