Arsenal skipper Martin Odegaard has warned his teammates to be prepared for a physical battle ahead of Sunday’s London derby against Chelsea.

Both clubs have made flawless starts to the new season and 100% records will be on the line at Emirates Stadium this afternoon.

The Gunners have picked up where they left off last term, leaning into their defensive qualities to record back-to-back clean sheets in victories against Coventry City and Aston Villa.

Chelsea, by contrast, have looked shaky in defence, leaking five goals already, and have been largely bailed out by their impressive looking forward line

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Morgan Rogers, who came close to joining Arsenal in the summer, has struck up an immediate understanding with Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro and that trio offer the new-look Blues genuine hope of achieving a positive result at the home of the reigning champions.

Much of the pre-match focus has centered on whether or not Chelsea will be able to match-up to the physical challenge of facing Arsenal and were reported to be using rugby pads during their training sessions to prepare for battle.

‘We have been preparing to face Chelsea all week, so obviously we’ve been watching them a bit more,’ said Odegaard ahead of this season’s first heavyweight clash.

‘I think they’ve been really good going forward so far, playing some good attacking football. They have got some really good players and have made more signings this summer.

‘They have the quality to create problems in any situation, so it’s going to be a big test for us and a good fight – we’re really looking forward to it.

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‘It’s a big game early in the season. They’ve started well, we’ve started well, it’s a derby, so of course it’s a massive game.

‘We want to get the win to keep going, keep building and we see this as a good chance for us to show our quality once again and to stay at the top.’

Arsenal’s attacking threat, meanwhile, is perhaps underestimated and in Bukayo Saka they possess a winger attempting to get back to his best form.

Source: Read the original article on metro.co.uk

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