Five years it's been since Arsenal last tasted victory over Chelsea in the Premier League, and unless Arsene Wenger brings out a slightly different strategy, plays to what is necessary on this big London derby occasion, the Blues will feel they will still have control of the rivalry come the end of the 90 minutes at the Emirates on Saturday.
In the two fixtures last season, Arsenal shot themselves in the foot by going down to ten men early, and, unsurprisingly, Diego Costa was involved in both. While the first one, when Gabriel saw red for allegedly kicking out at the Chelsea player, was as a result of gamesmanship, the second was all about the Chelsea striker's brilliance, his movement and ability to worry the defenders, with Per Mertesacker making an unsuccessful last-man tackle.
The hold that Chelsea have over Arsenal at the moment is similar to the one Jose Mourinho has over Arsene Wenger, and while the Portuguese is no longer the manager of the Stamford Bridge club, you feel there is a mental block with the North London side when it comes to playing the team from West London.
It is up to Wenger to ensure that mental block goes away before the start of this Premier League match, because if it doesn't, then Arsenal will be staring at another defeat to Chelsea.
Having lost their opening home game of the season, 4-3 to Liverpool, and only just topped Southampton with a last-gasp penalty, Arsenal need a really good home performance, just to lift the Emirates crowd, one that can be quick to get on the players' backs if things start to go wrong.
A strong start, ensuring that Arsenal do not go down a man or two, as they did in the 2-0 loss at Stamford Bridge last season, will be key, because if it comes down to playing pure football, Wenger's team are as good as any in the Premier League.
Chelsea have seen their form tail off after three consecutive wins to start the season and Antonio Conte will not have John Terry to call upon for this London derby, with the captain failing to recover in time from an ankle problem.
That means David Luiz will start at the back for Chelsea alongside Gary Cahill and the maverick that he is, he could have an amazing 90 minutes, where he shuts the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott, Mesut Ozil and Alex Iwobi out, or he could end up costing the Blues the victory.
That is the risk that you take with someone like Luiz, but Conte will also want his team to do better going forward. With Cesc Fabregas, the former Arsenal midfielder, making a case for inclusion with a brace in the EFL Cup win over Leicester City, the Italian has a decision to make about his lineup, but considering Oscar gives him more mobility, the Spaniard might find himself on the bench again at the place he once used to call home.
The man that Conte will look to for inspiration is Costa, who has gotten under Arsenal's skin before, while also being extremely effective, knocking in goals against them as well. If Costa is in the mood, Arsenal fans at the Emirates could have a long day.
Where to Watch Live
Arsenal vs Chelsea is set to begin at 10pm IST (5.30pm BST, 12.30pm ET).
India: TV: Star Sports 4 and Star Sports Select HD1. Live Streaming: Hotstar.
UK: TV: BT Sport 1.
USA: TV: NBCSN, Telemundo. Live Streaming: NBC live.
Australia: TV: Optus Sport. Live Streaming: Optus Online.
Canada: TV: TSN1 and TSN4. Live Streaming: TSN TV.
Middle East and Thailand: TV: Bein Sports.
South Africa: TV: SuperSport 3.
Singapore: TV: 102 mio Stadium.
Malaysia: TV: Astro SuperSport.
