Keane and Scholes at odds over Arsenal's Chelsea showdown as Wright promises 'murder'

Arsenal head into their showdown with Chelsea sitting five points clear of Manchester City in the title race, though Pep Guardiola's outfit hold a game in hand. The Gunners have steadied the ship after faltering against Brentford and Wolves, dismantling Tottenham 4-1 in the North London derby to reassert their credentials.

Chelsea, meanwhile, have endured a wobble under Liam Rosenior despite an encouraging start to his tenure. Back-to-back stalemates with Leeds and Burnley have complicated their Champions League qualification bid, while they suffered a double blow in the Carabao Cup semi-final at Arsenal's hands.

Yet the pundits cannot agree on how Sunday's encounter will unfold. Paul Scholes fancies Chelsea's chances despite that semi-final disappointment, predicting either a stalemate or a Blues victory.

"I fancy Chelsea. I think it could be 0-0. I think it will be a draw or a Chelsea win," Scholes told The Overlap. "Arsenal only won the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final because Chelsea needed to get a goal late on and it opened up."

Roy Keane, however, backs his former Manchester United nous to spot a familiar pattern. He's convinced Chelsea will self-destruct through another moment of indiscipline, pointing to Wesley Fofana's dismissal against Burnley as evidence of a troubling trend. The defender became the sixth Chelsea player sent off this season – the highest tally in the Premier League.

"They will do something silly and get a man sent off again," Keane said. "Chelsea will do something daft you watch."

Ian Wright shares Keane's confidence in an Arsenal victory, though he's far more bullish about the margin.

"I'm going to go 3-1," Wright declared. "We're going to murder them."

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, a former Chelsea striker, sees his old side as genuine danger men despite their recent form. He reckons they have the knack of turning up against the elite.

"The next game for Arsenal against Chelsea is the one, I don't see them winning against Chelsea," Hasselbaink told Sky Sports. "Chelsea are a strange kind of team, they will go out to a big team and get a result, get a draw or get a win. They can do that. That's just how they are."

Hasselbaink believes the encounter will prove far trickier for Arsenal than their Spurs demolition, potentially levelling matters at the top if the Gunners slip up. However, he remains convinced of their ultimate credentials.

"I do think they are the favourites and I do think they are going to win it, they have the strongest squad," he added. "But I always saw them winning at Spurs, even with the pressure. I never thought Spurs would even get a draw, especially after the Wolves game because when Arsenal have a point to prove, the majority of the time they deliver."