As Arsenal gear up for a monumental Premier League game against Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea, former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin has weighed in on the imminent clash.

Both teams look set for an edge-of-the-seat battle at Stamford Bridge, especially with Arsenal riding high after a win over Manchester City.

Pat Nevin, former Chelsea and Scotland winger, spoke to BBC Sport, providing his perspective on the upcoming fixture between Chelsea and Arsenal.

“This is the best test so far for Mauricio Pochettino’s new Blues against a bona fide top side,” he said.

“Chelsea’s young and expensive side haven’t picked up as many points as they would have wanted, needed or indeed expected. However, they still haven’t been badly beaten by anyone so their confidence levels should still be fine.”

He praised Chelsea’s rising stars, saying, “The first shoots of a bright future are beginning to show with Noni Madueke brilliant for England Under-21s and Cole Palmer off the mark for the Chelsea first team.

“They seem to have raised Raheem Sterling’s performances, as he sees them as serious competitors for his position.”

As for Arsenal, Nevin noticed, “For their part Arsenal are in great shape, joint top of the league having just beaten the Champions Manchester City. They can also take heart from the statistics, having only lost one and drawn one of the last eight meetings against Chelsea.”

Nevin is eager to see how Chelsea alumni Kai Havertz and Jorginho perform. In his eyes, “the crucial battle should be for central midfield dominance.” He believes, “Declan Rice and Enzo Fernandez might not be directly up against each other all the time, but whoever shines brightest between those two could help control and decide the game.”

Arsenal will go head-to-head with Chelsea on Saturday, October 21, with the match set to kick off at 5.30 pm BST at Stamford Bridge.

The game will air live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Football, and can also be live-streamed via the NOW TV or Sky Go apps.