London, England (SportsNetwork.com) - The top two clubs in the Premier League are set for a massive clash on Sunday as leaders Chelsea travel to the Emirates to battle second-place Arsenal in a heated London derby.
Both clubs have been in excellent form most of the season with very few bumps along the way. Chelsea hopes to edge closer to the title after squeezing out a 1-0 win over Manchester United last week.
Jose Mourinho's Blues enter the clash with a 10-point lead over the Gunners with six matches remaining in the season. Arsenal is in desperate need of all three points at home if they hope to have a chance of catching Chelsea at the top of the table.
Chelsea played a fairly cautious first half against United but made the most of a chance in the 38th to break the deadlock.
Oscar received a pass from Cesc Fabregas with his back to goal and released Eden Hazard with a clever back heel. The Belgian tracked the ball down inside the area on the left and tucked his shot underneath goalkeeper David De Gea at his near post.
Hazard nearly had a second goal in the 53rd when Didier Drogba chipped a shot over the head of De Gea that was heading wide of the net. Hazard got to the ball just before its crossed the end line and attempted to flick it inside the post, but it struck the woodwork and stayed out.
Chelsea was content to keep hold of the lead and sat back at times, allowing United to press the action.
But the best chance the visitors had to level the match came in the 78th minute when Radamel Falcao held off his defender and lashed a shot off the outside of the post with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois leaning the opposite way.
Arsenal, meanwhile, come into the match with positive momentum after knocking off Reading, 2-1, in extra time to advance to the FA Cup final.
The Gunners opened the scoring six minutes before the break when Alexis knocked one through the legs of Reading goalkeeper Adam Federici.
Arsenal were pegged back nine minutes after the restart through a goal from Garath McCleary, but the Gunners grabbed the winner through Mesut Ozil in the second period of extra time to make their second consecutive FA Cup final appearance.
In league play, the Gunners have been nearly unstoppable at home, having won 11 consecutive games. But it will take a massive effort to breakdown a notoriously stout Chelsea defense.
A win for the Gunners would bring the club within seven points of the Blues, while a win for Chelsea would see the lead balloon to 13 points.
Elsewhere in the Premier League this weekend, Sunday's other match sees Everton host Manchester United at Goodison Park looking for a second straight win following a 1-0 over Burnley last week.
On Saturday, Southampton hosts Tottenham at St. Mary's Stadium in an intriguing battle for a Europa League place, while Burnley hopes to take another step toward avoiding the drop against Leicester City.
Crystal Palace welcomes Hull City to Selhurst Park, Newcastle United battles Swansea City at St. James' Park, while Queens Park Rangers welcomes West Ham United to Loftus Road.
Stoke City battles Sunderland at the Britannia Stadium, while Liverpool hopes to bounce back from an FA Cup semifinal loss to Aston Villa with a win over West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns.
Saturday's final fixtures sees Manchester City hope to regain some winning form with a three-point effort against Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium.
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