Chelsea hopes to dent league leaders Arsenal’s winning run in the Premier League to refigure their top-four credential at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues recovered from their devastating 4-1 loss to Brighton last weekend with a 2-1 win over Dinamo Zagreb at home in the Champions League while the Gunners registered back-to-back victories in a week with a 1-0 win over FC Zurich in the Europa League.
CHE vs ARS Match Details
Date: Sunday, 6 September 2022
Time: 13:00 (BST) / 17:30 (IST)
Venue: Stamford Bridge, London
CHE vs ARS Match Preview
Graham Potter could not have imagined his old side will give such a walloping to his present team on his return to AMEX. With Roberto Zerbi as the Englishman successor after his three years stay at Brighton, the Seagulls turned their slow start under the new management to dismantle Chelsea 4-1 taking full advantage of their stricken defending throughout the game. Potter’s tactics came into severe criticism basically the use of attackers as wing-backs not going down well with the fraternity. The Blues went with a back four in the last group stage game of the Champions League in midweek against Dinamo Zagreb resulting in a 2-1 win. It showed Potter is trying to find the best strategy to make Chelsea commendable again on the pitch but patience is not celebrated too much at the club although the present hierarchy has a more long-term plan behind the manager appointment as cited. That being said, the Blues will be reluctant to make their life more miserable for them by extending further gap from the top four places, currently three points off it in sixth place. No wins in the last three Premier League games and an unwanted visit from table toppers Arsenal in a cracking London Derby on Sunday is set to ask a lot of questions from Potter’s men. Chelsea have been dominant at Stamford Bridge staying unbeaten in 12 games in all competition though their rivals have been equally good at this ground winning the last two fixtures in the league. After scoring three goals in his first five games for Chelsea in his return to Premier League, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has gone largely quiet since then and the fans want him to break the duck against his former team. Potter will easily set a precedent as the right man for the job if the Blues snick out a win on Sunday, a result that can truly turn their season around before they face Newcastle United next weekend in a straight fight for Champions League places.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal gets better and better showing no sign of stopping down as we head to the World Cup break in two weeks. Collecting 31 points from 12 games, the Gunners have made the best start to a Premier League campaign even elapsing the points total of their invincible season in 2002/03. This is enough to tell their excellence this season as Mikel Arteta’s side aims to transform their terrific run into title success at the end of it. It is left to see whether the Gunners could keep up the same momentum after the mid-season international tournament which is bound to throw a lot of unpredictable situations in the latter half of the club campaign. Lately, the performances have not hit the same level in the league or Europe but they have got the job done. The 5-0 win over Nottingham Forest last weekend put them two points clear of Manchester City in second while the slender 1-0 win over FC Zurich qualified them to the last 16 of the Europa League as group winners, both games played at the Emirates. Their away form though has been a little struggle with a draw against Southampton and a loss to PSV in Europe not sitting well. However, the team has responded every time there has been a slight downturn in an otherwise brilliant campaign as proven by the previous two results. Arsenal have won the last four London derbies in the league and has only lost to Manchester United on away trips this season. Adding it to their three games unbeaten streak at Stamford Bridge, Mikel Arteta have a lot of positive to say to his men to encourage them to another three points this weekend. A win is crucial to avoid losing ground on top of the chart to the holders considering they face second-last Wolves next before some of their players head off to Qatar for the World Cup.
Recent Form (all competitions)
CHE: WLWDD
ARS: WWLDW
Recent Form (league)
CHE: LDDWW
ARS: WDWWW
CHE vs ARS Team News
Chelsea and England have been dealt an injury blow with left-back Ben Chilwell now confirmed to miss the World Cup in Qatar after he pulled up in the midweek Champions League win over Dinamo Zagreb. The scan showed his hamstring injury is significant and will keep him out for a certain period of time. The former Leicester City player will begin a rehabilitation process soon. Goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga will not play before the tournament in Qatar due to the plantar fascia injury he has in the bottom of one of his feet ruling him out of the game against Arsenal. As a result, Edouard Mendy will earn a second consecutive start for the Blues for the first time since losing his place to the Spaniard. Carney Chukwuemeka remains out with a hamstring injury but Mateo Kovacic is not involved again after not featuring against Zagreb because of a minor calf issue. N’Golo Kante is out for the long term while Wesley Fofana and Reece James are unavailable till the middle of this month. Potter might well shift from using Christian Pulisic and Raheem Sterling as wing-backs coming under intense scrutiny on the back of a disastrous return for the manager at Brighton with Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Marc Cucurella acquiring the roles instead.
Arsenal have a fresher squad in terms of injuries with only Takehiro Tomiyasu a major doubt to make the trip to Stamford Bridge after picking up a slight muscular issue in the 1-0 win over FC Zurich in the Europa League on Thursday. The Japanese replaced Ben White in the 73rd minute but he himself was taken off 15 minutes later with the problem. The severity of his injury is not known yet. Bukayo Saka suffered a knock and was taken off around the half-hour mark in the huge win over Nottingham Forest last weekend. The issue was not serious with him managing 27 minutes towards the end of the second half in the midweek fixture which makes him a contender to start at weekend. That means Reiss Nelson will revert back to the bench after scoring a stunning brace replacing the injured Saka against Forest and starting in the Zurich game. Oleksandr Zinchenko return to the bench after missing the majority of last month with a calf issue while Mohamed Elneny was handed his first start in the Europa League game since picking up a hamstring injury in August. Emile Smith Rowe, scorer in the last two meetings at the Bridge, will miss action until December due to a groin issue.
CHE vs ARS Predicted Lineups
CHL: Edouard Mendy; Trevoh Chalobah, Silva, Kalidou Koulibaly; Loftus-Cheek, Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic, Marc Cucurella; Mason Mount; Raheem Sterling, Aubameyang
ARS: Aaron Ramsdale; Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Kieran Tierney; Granit Xhaka, Thomas Partey; Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus
CHE vs ARS Dream11 Team Prediction
GK: Ramsdale (7)
DEF: White (7.5), Chalobah (7), T Silva (9), Saliba (8)
MID: Saka (9), Odegaard (8.5), Mount (9)
FW: Sterling (9), Jesus (9), Martinelli (9)
Mason Mount has two assists in the last two games against the Gunners although he has not made any goal contribution in the last three Premier League games.
Raheem Sterling has scored eight goals against Arsenal during his time at Manchester City and after breaking his scoring duck in midweek in Europe, the 27-year-old is willing to do the same in the Premier League.
Bukayo Saka has two goals in the last four meetings against Chelsea while scoring in two of the three games against the current top six teams in the league this season.
Vice-captain: Gabriel Jesus
Captain: Bukayo Saka
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