Arsenal and Chelsea, currently the Premier League's top two, meet at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday in an eagerly anticipated London derby.

Leaders Chelsea are aiming to extend their comfortable advantage at the top of the table, while Arsenal are looking to edge another step closer to booking a place in the group stage of next season's Champions League.

Arsenal

Taking on the Premier League leaders in late April would ideally be considered a title decider, but Arsenal's hopes of catching their London rivals in the closing stages of the season are slim at best due to Chelsea's dominance.

However, confidence is high in the Arsenal squad, and they will be optimistic of adding another impressive win to their recent run as they look to cut the 10-point deficit at the top of the table.

The Gunners are on an eight-match winning run in the Premier League, and there was more success for Arsene Wenger's side as they battled into the FA Cup final by edging out Reading in extra time at Wembley.

There is no doubt that Arsenal supporters want to be in a better position to challenge for the title, but a second-place finish and another FA Cup triumph at the end of the season would suggest that they are heading in the right direction once again.

Much of their recent success is down to Olivier Giroud, who divides opinion with some of his performances for Arsenal but has found form at the perfect stage with seven goals in his last seven league games.

There will be plenty of pressure on the striker and his creative teammates at the weekend as they go in search of opportunities that are likely to be difficult to come by against a side who pride themselves on stubborn defending.

If Arsenal manage to extend their run by collecting three more points, there will be a few whispers about a late-season challenge for the title, but the bigger picture suggests that a win would be another important step for the development of this squad.

Recent form: WWWWWW
Recent form (all competitions): WWWWWW

Chelsea

For much of the early stages of the campaign, Chelsea were playing an attacking brand of football which many were not used to seeing from a side managed by Jose Mourinho, but in recent weeks the manager's trademark ability to grind out results has been clear for all to see.

It could be argued that the leaders have been short of their best form, and while some individuals have struggled to hit the same heights they managed a few months back, Chelsea have ensured that this hasn't resulted in the door being opened to the sides below them.

As defending champions Manchester City fell away and other rivals jostled for position in the chasing pack, Mourinho's men have never lost focus, and winning their last four league games by one-goal margins is proof of their resilience.

The biggest test in that run came last weekend against Manchester United as the visitors dominated possession for long spells at Stamford Bridge but failed to avoid slipping to a 1-0 defeat which moved Chelsea to within two victories of clinching the title.

Eden Hazard scored the crucial goal to hand Chelsea all three points, and it's the form of the Belgian which has perhaps been the most important factor in recent weeks as he continues to cause problems for every defence in a season which is likely to be recognised with the PFA Player of the Year award.

It could take a similar performance to triumph in North London, with Mourinho probably expecting to spend long spells without the ball as he relies on his attacking midfielders to operate on the break.

Ending Arsenal's impressive run should hand Chelsea plenty of motivation, but moving to within one more win of lifting the title means that the visitors will make the short trip full of confidence on Sunday.

Recent form: WDWWWW
Recent form (all competitions): DDWWWW

Team News

Wenger is sweating over the fitness of Per Mertesacker, who is fighting to recover from an ankle injury picked up in last weekend's win over Reading, and Gabriel Paulista could be set to start alongside Laurent Koscielny at the back.

Mikel Arteta is still not fit enough to return from his own ankle problem, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is unavailable due to a groin injury.

After taking a risk over Diego Costa's fitness a few weeks back, Mourinho could resist the urge to recall the Spaniard after his latest hamstring injury and Didier Drogba may start in attack once again.

Cesc Fabregas will start against his former club, but he could operate in an advanced position should Mourinho decide to use Kurt Zouma in midfield.

Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Ospina, Bellerin, Koscielny, Gabriel, Monreal, Coquelin, Cazorla, Ramsey, Ozil, Sanchez, Giroud

Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Courtois, Ivanovic, Terry, Cahill, Azpilicueta, Zouma, Matic, Willian, Fabregas, Hazard, Drogba

Head To Head

Much of the focus may be on the return of Fabregas, but it is often the two managers who dominate the headlines in the build-up to this fixture.

Mourinho and Wenger clashed in a fiery match when the two sides met in October, but it was the Chelsea boss who had the last laugh as his side claimed a 2-0 victory at Stamford Bridge.

Since taking over Chelsea for the first time just over a decade ago, Mourinho has won seven of his 12 meetings with Wenger and never tasted defeat against the Frenchman's side.

Arsenal have not beaten Chelsea since Robin van Persie scored a hat-trick in a dramatic 5-3 victory in October 2011.

We say: Arsenal 1-1 Chelsea

Tough trips away from home seem to bring the best out of Mourinho's side, and after battling to a win over Manchester United last weekend, they will be confident of producing a repeat performance. Arsenal are likely to be eager to get onto the front foot at home, but there could be nothing to separate the two contrasting styles.