The West Londoners have not beaten their city rivals in the league since a 1-0 home victory in September 1995, and they last won a league game at Highbury in 1990.

However, Chelsea's 2-1 win at Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-final, second leg last season is not the only reason hopes are high at Stamford Bridge before one of the most highly-anticipated matches of the season.

Chelsea are five points clear at the top of the table, and have reached the League Cup semi-finals and the last 16 of the Champions League.

Coach Jose Mourinho has few injury worries and brushed aside the relevance of a defeat -- Chelsea's second of the season -- at his former club Porto in the Champions League on Tuesday.

"I cannot see a negative relation between this game and the Arsenal game," he said. "If I could see that relation then I would have played the team that will start against Arsenal.... There will be no negative influence from this defeat.

"Arsenal and Chelsea are the top two teams and it will be fantastic. The world will be watching and we want it to be a good spectacle."

Spectacle it will be if Arsenal can turn on the kind of form they showed at the start of the season as they extended their record unbeaten run to 49 league games.

After the run was ended at Manchester United in late October, however, the champions have experienced a slump by their own high standards.

While a 3-0 win over Birmingham City last weekend and a 5-1 drubbing of Rosenborg Trondheim to reach the Champions League knockout stages will have done much to restore morale, Sunday is a huge test of their recovery.

GOALKEEPING DILEMMA

Much of the talk has been about Arsene Wenger's goalkeeping dilemma, but his depleted midfield is likely be a more important factor.

Arsenal's dip coincided with the loss of Brazilian midfielders Edu and Gilberto to injury and they will be joined on the sidelines against Chelsea by captain Patrick Vieira, who is suspended.

Sweden's Freddie Ljungberg is doubtful with a migraine, leaving Wenger with the talented but inexperienced pairing of Francesc Fabregas and Matthieu Flamini to drive his midfield.

Wenger has said he will decide on Sunday whether to bring back Jens Lehmann in goal or stick with Manuel Almunia after the latter's error-prone display against Rosenborg.

Cameroon's Lauren will be back to restore Arsenal's defence to full strength, however, and Thierry Henry will look to add to his tally of 13 league goals.

Mourinho will recall Claude Makelele in midfield and the Frenchman's role in cutting off the supply lines to Arsenal's multi-skilled strikeforce could be crucial.

Dutch winger Arjen Robben, who has galvanised Chelsea's attack in his short time at the club, will also be back in the starting line-up.

The smart money will be on a draw and, while ending the nine-year victory drought would give great pleasure to Chelsea fans, there can be little doubt the visitors would be happy to take a point back across London.