Preview
Arsenal travelled north to face Manchester City last week with a point to prove and a lead to preserve. But a 4-1 hammering from Kevin de Bruyne and company all but ended their title hopes, giving Pep Guardiola’s side full control of the Premier League title race. A confirmed Champions League place was all Arsenal faithful could boast of come the end of the night at the Etihad.
After City all but ended Arsenal’s pursuit, their London rivals Chelsea get the opportunity on Tuesday to make things even worse for Mikel Arteta’s men. But the Blues, who are winless in their last five games and mathematically not guaranteed Premier League safety, will have to deliver their best performance of the season so far to spoil the party at the Emirates. There’s no better motivation for Frank Lampard’s side than this.
Head to Head
Arsenal’s rise under Arteta has coincided with their ever-improving performance against Chelsea. Once the big boys in London, the Stamford outfit have lost five of the past six games in all competitions against Arsenal. Their only success was a 2-0 league win in 2021. Romelu Lukaku scored the opening goal with Thomas Tuchel on the touchline. Both no longer ply trade at Chelsea.
The last time Arsenal faced their rivals, they returned to the Premier League’s summit with a 1-0 win away from home through Gabriel’s headed goal from the corner in November.
Team News
William Saliba’s absence has proven to be one of the biggest reasons behind Arsenal’s season-derailing form, with the Gunners conceding 11 goals in their last four games. The Frenchman is unavailable for the Chelsea game as well. Mohamed Elneny and Takehiro Tomiyasu are not available either.
For Chelsea, Reece James, Mason Mount, Marc Cucurella, and Armando Broja are all sidelined. Meanwhile, Kai Havertez and Kalidou Koulibaly are doubts.
Predicted Lineups
Arsenal: 4-3-3
Ramsdale (GK), White, Holding, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Odegaard, Partey, Xhaka, Saka, Jesus, Martinelli
Chelsea: 3-4-2-1
Arrizabalaga (GK), Chalobah, Silva, Fofana, Chilwell, Enzo, Kovacic, Azpilicueta, Gallagher, Mudryk, Sterling
Players to Watch
Gabriel Martinelli
Martinelli’s first big breakthrough goal for Arsenal came against Chelsea when he ran from one end to another and left N’Golo Kante on the floor to score the goal on the break. On a personal level, the youngster has the opportunity to overtake Roberto Firmino’s league goal tally to become the Brazilian player with the most goals in a Premier League season. Currently, he’s on 15 goals.
Raheem Sterling
While Arsenal have been partly carried by former Man City duo Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus, another ex-City man might put the final nail in their coffin. Sterling will head into the game with a point to prove, having endured a disappointing season at Chelsea. Further, Mykhailo Mudryk, who was heavily linked with Arsenal in January, is yet to open his account in the league. This might just be the perfect night for him to tinker with the stats sheet.
Where will the Game be Decided?
Chelsea all season, while Arsenal lately have played like dysfunctional teams. Thomas Partey has been a shambles in the middle of the park, frequently leaving Rob Holding in vulnerable positions at the back. Saliba’s elite physicality and athleticism helped to cover Partey’s mistakes, but Holding has not managed to do the same efficiently, conceding several unavoidable goals.
Chelsea were beaten by 2-0 Brentford because of their defensive frailties as well. Cesar Azpilicueta turned the ball into his own net in the 37th minute. Then in their attempts to find an equaliser, Chelsea left plenty of space behind for Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo to double the lead.
As such, the outcome will be dictated by the team who does the basics right and avoid handing their opposition goal-scoring chances on a plate. In particular, how Partey deals with Kante’s pressing in his own third will be key for both teams. If he does things right, Arsenal will be able to progress effectively, and if he’s easily dispossessed, Chelsea can enjoy good spells around the penalty area. The tempo should favour Sterling’s pace and one-on-one qualities, especially against Holding.
Predictions
A month ago, it would’ve been a very easy call to pick the winner. Arsenal were an unstoppable force, and in all likelihood, would’ve thrashed Chelsea. But now the Gunners are on a four-match winless run and have appeared devoid of leaders in recent games.
However, considering Chelsea, who have just forgotten how to win a game of football and continue to get worse with every managerial change, it’s still wise to expect Arsenal to have the scoreline in their favour at the full-time whistle. Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea.
Kick-off Time
The kickoff is at 19:00 GMT Tuesday at the Emirates stadium.