Arsenal vs Chelsea – Match Preview
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Undoubtedly the fixture of this Premier League weekend takes us to the Emirates as Arsenal prepare for their second London derby in as many weeks, last week it was a trip to West Ham and this Saturday it is Chelsea that make the short trip across at the capital.
And that clash with West Ham is one that Arsenal manager Unai Emery will quickly want to forget. He witnessed his side being outclassed in all areas of the pitch as the Gunners looked second best in every department.
Declan Rice’s goal soon after the interval was enough to make it a miserable day for Arsenal as they limped to a 1-0 defeat at the London Stadium. A defeat which highlights the deficiencies that the squad currently has.
In a week where Emery went on record to say that the club don’t have the money to make any permanent signings this month, the result was certainly the outcome that the former PSG man could have done without.
This Arsenal project is still very much a work in progress, while they will definitely have their work cut out when they prepare for the visit of Chelsea this weekend. Especially as the battle to finish in the top four intensifies.
And it is a battle in which Chelsea have gained a significant advantage in the past week, as thanks to Arsenal’s defeat to West Ham and the Blues subsequent win over Newcastle later the day, they now find themselves six points clear of their nearest rivals.
A gap that could well be extended to nine if Chelsea can get the better of their crosstown rivals and they will be confident of doing so now that they have returned to winning ways after being held by Southampton at home recently.
That goalless draw with the Saints highlighted the need for an addition to the Blues attacking ranks and although that has not been forthcoming, Maurizio Sarri was able to rely on the old guard of Pedro and Willian to get the better of Newcastle last weekend.
Whether Chelsea do get a new forward by the end of the month remains to be seen, but one man who looks to be heading for the Stamford Bridge exit door is that of Alvaro Morata with the Spanish international not even making the bench for the clash with Newcastle.
It seems that Arsenal’s issues are at the back and Chelsea’s are predominately in the final third, something that could well mean that the two clubs end up cancelling each other out when they meet at the Emirates.
In fairness it is arguably a game that is more of a must win for Arsenal than it is for Chelsea and although Maurizio Sarri would love to turn the screw in the race for fourth place, you do also get the feeling that a draw would not be the worst result for them either.
If that is to be the case, then the main beneficiaries of this could well be Manchester United who play at home to Brighton hours earlier. They will be watching this game with interest along with Premier League fans all around the world.
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