Arsenal vs Chelsea LIVE SCORE, UPDATES: Fernando Torres, Lukas Podolski Lead Attacks

Any goals scored in the latest installment in the long-running rivalry between Chelsea and Arsenal won't be coming from the players who starred for these clubs in recent meetings.

With Robin Van Persie having departed for the greener pastures of Manchester United and Didier Drogba having left West London when his contract expired after his team's Champions League triumph, each club began the season without the strikers that have long spearheaded its attack.

Despite the losses, both teams have started the campaign strong. With an attacking trio of Fernando Torres, Eden Hazard and Juan Mata leading the charrge, Chelsea sit atop the league table with four wins and a draw in its first five matches.

Perhaps more surprising given the defections fo RVP and Alex Song (to Barcelona), Arsene Wenger's squad has also begun its season without a loss. With two wins and three draws, including a 1-1 split at Manchester City, the Gunners have surprised doubters thus far.

"We got some belief against Man City," Wenger told Miguel Delaney of ESPN.com. "[The Chelsea game] is another one, it's a different one. It's at home. We have played now three away games at Stoke, Liverpool and Man City so if we do well at home against the big teams it will of course have a big impact on our chances in the league."

In recent meetings between these London clubs, the muscular menace of Drogba exploited Arsenal's congenital weaknesses in defense. With Drogba gone and the Gunners' defense much stouter early in the season than expected, how will this match turn out? Will John Terry be distracted by his looming ban? Will newcomers to the fixture like Santi Cazorla or Hazard add to its storied history?

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