Gary Neville was expected to be in the gantry for Chelsea vs Arsenal on Sunday afternoon, but the ex-Manchester United captain will instead be at the Qatar Grand Prix.
13:52, 30 Nov 2025
Gary Neville will miss Chelsea vs Arsenal in the Premier League. (Image: ( Bradley Collyer/PA Wire))
Gary Neville has revealed he’ll be missing from Sky Sports’ commentary team for the Chelsea vs Arsenal match as he will be in attendance for the Qatar Grand Prix. The Manchester United icon, who often shares the commentary box with Peter Drury for the weekend’s best matches, has opted to spend his weekend in the Middle East instead.
It’s as yet unknown who will step into Neville’s shoes alongside Drury for that big Premier League match, but it’s confirmed that Theo Walcott and Daniel Sturridge will be offering their insights from the studio, with Dave Jones hosting the programme.
Despite the magnitude of the game ahead, Neville’s absence may be forgiven as Lando Norris has a chance to the Drivers’ Championship. The 50-year-old is certainly relishing the chance to witness what could be a historic victory and gain an insider’s view of the operations.
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Chatting to Sky Sports on Saturday, he admitted: “I was meant to come a few months ago in Belgium and it didn’t quite happen but I said that I wanted to come. I’m missing Chelsea vs Arsenal but I have to say it is worth it. Seeing inside the Mercedes garage is incredible, what an opportunity.
“I’m going to watch [the race on Sunday] and I can sit around the Sky hang-out or I can go and hang around with the prawn sandwich brigade.”
The London derby at Stamford Bridge is all-set to kick off at 4.30pm – just half-an-hour after the start of the Qatar Grand Prix. While the title can’t be decided in west London, the result will have significant implications.
A victory would put Arsenal a comfortable nine points ahead of Chelsea but, if the hosts triumph, they could narrow the gap at the top to a mere three. After Chelsea’s impressive performance against Barcelona in the Champions League earlier this week, Mikel Arteta is acutely aware of the formidable challenge his team faces.
He admitted: “Obviously it’s a big game, it’s a big London derby. We’re going to play a really, really good opponent; they are in really good form.
Mikel Arteta and Arsenal are due to take on London rivals Chelsea. (Image: (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images))
“We know the challenge, we know the opportunity that we have as well on Sunday, so we are fully ready for it. They are there [at the top of the table] because they fully deserve what they have done in the last few years.
“I think the squad that they have assembled, the numbers that they have, the quality that they have the number of coaches they have it makes sense that what is happening there is very, very positive and they deserve to be there.”
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca is also bracing for a tough match, acknowledging that his side will need to be sharp in front of goal as opportunities are likely to be scarce.
He went on: “For sure they defend fantastically. Any teams against them, they struggle to score goals, not only to score goals, but even to create chances. So it’s a team that they defend very well.
“Then they have weapons when they attack. So I think it’s, as you said, in this moment they are top in the Champions League, they are top in the Premier League. And we’re going to try our best to win the match.”
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