Antonio Conte's side were by far the strongest in the English top flight last time out, amassing 93 points on the way to the club's second championship crown in three years. They were, however, denied a domestic double by their upcoming opponents, who ran out 2-1 winners in the final of the FA Cup in May thanks to goals from Alexis Sanchez and Aaron Ramsey. Chelsea have strengthened their squad by landing Alvaro Morata, Antonio Rudiger, Willy Caballero and Tiemoue Bakayoko so far this summer, although last term's top scorer Diego Costa appears headed for the exit door. The pressure will be on Chelsea in 2017/18 - they are now the team everyone will be out to beat - and it will be interesting to see how they respond, particularly as their time will now be divided between domestic and European commitments.
Arsenal finished fifth in the Premier League last term, which means they will not be competing in the Champions League for the first time in two decades. The Gunners' final league position was undoubtedly a major disappointment, but success in the FA Cup final did at least allow them to add another piece of silverware to the trophy cabinet at the Emirates Stadium. That triumph was not enough to satisfy some members of the Arsenal fan base, but Arsene Wenger nonetheless put pen to paper on a new two-year contract shortly after the Wembley showpiece. Supporters will hope that new signings Alexandre Lacazette and Sead Kolasinac can inspire an improvement, but the potential loss of Sanchez would be a huge blow.
Conte may have to make do without the injured Eden Hazard and Pedro Rodriguez, with Michy Batshuayi and Willian set to join Morata in the front three. Bakayoko is also sidelined with fitness issues, which should see Cesc Fabregas join N'Golo Kante in midfield, while Rudiger could join two of Gary Cahill, Cesar Azpilicueta and David Luiz in the three-man backline.
Wenger switched to a 3-4-2-1 formation towards the end of last season and looks set to stick with the same shape this time around. Laurent Koscielny will miss out through suspension and Alexis Sanchez has recently been suffering from illness, while Santi Cazorla remains out with a long-term injury. Lacazette and Kolasinac will be involved in some capacity, and Per Mertesacker could be handed another start as he continues to rebuild his fitness after missing the vast majority of the 2016/17 campaign.
Chelsea and Arsenal have already faced one another this pre-season, with the former emerging victorious by three goals to nil at the Beijing National Stadium in China. A repeat of that result - but perhaps not the scoreline - is the most likely outcome at Wembley, with Chelsea worth backing to come out on top. Both teams to score is another option worth considering, while Morata would be a sensible choice to find the back of the net anytime.
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