Arsenal v Chelsea; Premier League Match Preview
This week has encapsulated Arsenal’s season to a tee. The loss to Manchester City showed what happened when stupid mistakes happen. The win against Swansea showed what happens when you have hunger and desire. And this Sunday we wonder, which of these two teams will show up against Chelsea for the first of an Epic double header – as both games outcomes will weigh on Arsenal.
Arsenal have a chance to make up ground on both Chelsea and Tottenham if they can manage to win this game. And while it’s not an easy task, they have to feel there is the possibility of chance. Chelsea in their last 7 home matches have only won 1. Hardly, the fortress that it was known for. They, like Arsenal show up for one match and disappear for another or do both in one match. However, anyone who think it will be easy can easily look across the Chelsea lineup and see some supremely talented players.
The hope for the Gunners has to be to add to Chelsea and Rafa Benitez’s misery. Rafa since coming to Chelsea hasn’t had the best of times and that has only been compounded by the fact that he has presided over 5 of poor home matches Chelsea have suffered through.
The opportunity is there for the taking. Again, as has always been the case this season is – which Arsenal team is going to show up. Chelsea (like Arsenal) have great talent in the attack but are questionable in defense. All season long they have shown a difficulty in handling pace through the middle, especially on the counter. While I think the Starting XI from Wednesday will get the nod, with Giroud up top, there is a case for Theo to lead the line with Ox going head to head versus former Gunner, Ashley Cole. Still, given Theo’s rate of success against Cole of late, and the fact that Giroud’s strength could give Terry trouble – I think that’s what will see.
For the midfield I suspect Wenger will return with the same midfield three he had this past Wednesday. Diaby and Coquelin supporting Jack Wilshere in the number 10 role. Diaby for all the concern of injuries, is as Wenger says, the closest midfielder we have who resembles what Patrick Vieira gave to this club. He has superb touch and his excellent close control (surprising for a man so big)means he is hard to get off the ball. His real skill lies in the way he uses the ball, either dribbling past opponents or slipping passes to team-mates. I do not think it’s a conincidence that for the first 5 matches of the season we were rock solid with Diaby and wobbly without.
As for Coquelin, offers versatility to Arsenal in that he can play both in the midfield and as a fullback. He is a true box to box type who is strong in the challenge and swift of feet. His hustle on Wednesday kept pressure heeped on Swansea.
But the focus for the midfield will be Jack Wilshere who has gradually returned to his pre-injury form. While Santi in the 10 role is guile and trickery, Wilshere is sheer determination and guts. He offers not only strength and determination with his play but he uncanny foot skills not typical for the proto-typical English midfielder. He is in my opinion the only person on the English National Team who could slot into the tiki-taka of Spain and not look like a fish out of water. Jack Wilshere stated emphatically this past Wednesday that he has returned, and with his blood and guts determination he will try and carry Arsenal on his back.
The midfield three as we’ve discussed it looked balanced against a Swansea side that has given not Arsenal trouble but has given many of the big teams problems. The key battle will be in the midfield where Arsenal go up against the likes of Lampard and Luiz.
But again all it really comes down to for Arsenal is staying focused and not committing the errors that took them out of the match back in September. Two mistakes in defensive coverage by Laurent Koscielny left Torres free to give him the first goal and then let Torres set up Mata for the second. They were simple mistakes not flashes of brilliance that you say to yourself – “nothing you can do about that.” In fairness throughout this up and down season, it has mostly been of Arsenal’s own making that they’ve been on the negative side of matches.
In order for Arsenal to do anything against Chelsea at the Bridge they will need to have their thinking caps on and stay focused on the match at hand. Do that and they can walk out of the Bridge with all 3 points. Do it not – well you don’t need me to tell you about that.
Player to Watch:
Arsenal: Jack Wilshere. For all the reasons stated above and for no other reason than to watch the continued emergence of an Arsenal legend in the making.
Chelsea: Demba Ba. When we beat Newcastle 7-3 two of the Geordie’s goals were scored by him. He has already transplanted Fernando Torres as the tip of Chelsea’s attack.
How the match will play out:
Again that’s a good question because for both teams you just don’t know what you are going to get. The key to tell how it’s going to go for Arsenal is how well they start. The biggest adjustment Arsenal made against Swansea was Santi staying wide. For the first half he kept coming in the middle and it compacted Arsenal’s attack. In the second half he stayed wide pulling out the defence and allowing the midfield to have some space. They need to make sure if Santi is the wide made he stays there. And then they need to press as one – not one man pressing individually but as a team. Again in the 2nd half they improved that and forced a ton of Swansea errors. They need to make Chelsea make mistakes. It was the biggest reason why Arsenal beat Chelsea at the Bridge last season. They need to do it again this one.
Projected Starting Lineups:
Injuries and Suspensions:
Arsenal: Fabianski (back), Gervinho (international duty) Rosicky (calf) Arteta (calf)
Chelsea: Romeu (knee) Mikel (international duty), Moses (international duty), Benyoun (knee)
Leading Scorers:
Arsenal: Walcott 8
Chelsea: Mata 7, Lampard 7, Torres 7
Assists Leaders:
Arsenal: Podolski 6, Walcott 6
Chelsea: Mata 8
Last Meeting (EPL):
Arsenal: 1
Chelsea: 2
Goals For:
Arsenal (away): 1.4
Chelsea (home): 2.2
Goals Against:
Arsenal (away): 0.8
Chelsea: (home): 0.9
Last Five:
Arsenal: LDWWW
Chelsea: DWLWW
Goal Difference:
Arsenal: 16
Chelsea: 24
Match Official:
Referee: Martin Atkinson. Matches 17, R1 Y68
Broadcast Information:
US: FoxSoccer Channel 8:30 AM EST
UK: SkySports 1 16.00 GMT
YAMA Prediction:
Arsenal: 2
Chelsea: 2
8 comments
Leave a reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Since I’m back in the States AND there’s no GDC (no word limit!!) I’m just gonna keep on goin’…..
Arsenal are in a relegation battle (from the Champion’s League) so results in the tougher matches don’t really matter. It’s unfortunate that we couldn’t steal a point (or more) against Chelsea today but if we keep pace with Spurs and Everton (and ‘Pool) we should be OK. It would help if we could keep together as a team and as a fan-base, but there you go with those “expectations” again.
In truth, I think it’s gonna be nip and tuck until May and we’ll be needing some luck. I doubt Wenger is going to buy any sort of obvious player who would immediately strengthen the side, but somebody who could provide a mixture of depth AND potential….Well, check out my post from below…..
Again, from below, our new signing (Theo Walcott) did well to get his goal but also provides a LOT of frustration. If he’s gonna play as a 2nd CF we maybe need to change formation AS A TEAM. (Additionally, getting caught offsides, over and over again, only helps a nervous team waste time and protect their lead…..) We’ve got a real problem in playing guys who want to come central out wide. Personally, I don’t see why Le Coq (hopefully only faking injury as he does, rather than truly hurt…) as a winger while giving either Theo or Santi a freer, more central assignment wouldn’t work. Buying somebody who doesn’t hate the touchline is another thought….Certainly, playing Arshavin “out of position” doesn’t seem the needed fillip if we find ourselves chasing a result….nor should Aaron (I need 5 touches….) Ramsey be thought of as a solution…. What about the kid from Crystal Palace (Zaha). Can he play out wide or has he already signed for United?….(Who somehow today are beating Spurs in London w/o Nani, Valencia nor Rooney…..)
You are indeed an optimist my friend if you think we have much chance of getting our 4th place trophy this year. Chelsea, City and Manure are off to the races and that leaves us in a 4 team battle with Everton, Liverpool and Spurs. While I can see us leapfrogging Everton at some point, it will take a dramatic implosion from Spurs for us to catch them, and Liverpool have been constantly improving as the season has progressed. I think we will end the season in the same position we stand today with an outside chance of us coming in fifth.
Even if we buy a “class” player this month, the points lost while dawdling to strengthen our glaring weaknesses will ensure we fail to get our trophy. Liverpool and Chelsea saw their weaknesses and acted immediately as Arsene fiddled while Arsenal burned.
His failure to identify and address our needs and his repeated gambles on injured players will certainly come to roost this season. The only bleaker outlook is that we will have to put up with his shenanigans for at least another 1 1/2 seasons as he “never
fails to see out my contracts”.
BTW:The word out on the street is that the Board is looking to extend his contract.
Hey, Arthur AND Vibe….
Let’s make peace here…both of you appeared to have watched, perhaps one more than the other ;-)…..
RVP has just put United up by a goal at the Lane….his 22nd of the year so far (all comps), 18 in the League….. The assist came from Cleverly, who along with Wilshere, I think, is the future of English football. Wellbeck is playing as well, it will be interesting whether he, Theo or Danny Sturridge becomes the dominant leader of the (3) lions….
Be that all as it may, but I think it shows just how the question expectations IS more or less everything in watching football. If you support England but are stuck in 1966 we’ve got issues. LIkewise with Arsenal and 10 years ago. We can discuss how we got from those points to the where we are now and how we go forward. If glory is the only goal AND you cannot switch allegiances within a given sport, then looking at others makes sense….and certainly, the hairstyles in the NFL are getting more interesting…..
The Fullham boys (Dempsey and Dembele) are both playing today and with Sandro out, England Captain Scott Parker anchors the MF. Spurs at least have (REAL) wide players in Bale and Lennon, while maybe Adebayor will be the man as a super-sub. Frankly, I think they look good deal better than a year ago and AVB has maybe found a more patient club. Bottom line, we could’ve used at least a point today as I don’t think we’ll see the big limp-in from Spurs (nor Chelsea) as we did last season…..(De Gea just made a GREAT save from Bale….)
Well what a shame, although a Chelsea win was on the cards, judging by our 2nd half performance we deserved a draw at least.
Theo Walcotts goal was brilliant. Giroud needs to prove his worth sooner rather than later if he wants to hear the fans continue to sing his name and not become a Chamakh and disappear into oblivion next season.
I missed the entire first half, probably a good thing but from what I saw this was the best performance I have seen from Le Coq for the senior Arsenal team, he looks so much more promising than Ramsey at present.
Nice to see Vermaelen looking consistent and dependble again (last two games) and I hope all being well it is alll up hill from here. Hopefully our 2nd half performance has restored faith that we can compete with the big boys and it will result in a victory against Utd and the Spuds.
Remember if your expectations are not too high you will not be too disappointed :-)
Be an Arsenal SUPPORTER win or lose, spend or don’t spend. COYG!!
If you only look at results this is another failure for Arsenal and, to a certain extent, of course, you are correct. If you actually watched the match (early start here on the West Coast, which might be too much if you’re planning on watching 8 hours of NFL later in the day….) it’s a slightly different story….
The big problem here is depth. With “big signings” Poldoski and Ox-Cham “out sick” AND the referee giving all the calls to the home team (actually Ramires, mostly….) we were in trouble early. Having the heart of your mid-field being guys who simply have not played (Diaby and Coquelin) but are now being asked to play every 4 days you have to have conservative expectations when it comes to winning the close balls AND the close calls. Le Coq played well but his Continental histrionics (matched only by Giroud’s….) mean that when he’s really stepped upon it’s hard for the tough-guy English refs to buy it. Diaby got through another 70+ minutes but looks hurting for match fitness and cutting edge. That he’s preferred to Ramsey, who seemed a real drop in quality upon his introduction, indicates how badly we need Arteta (or Rosicky or somebody)…..
The less said about Arshavin’s cameo the better. Even his haircut indicated a lack of application, though it must be said that he didn’t look to be hiding a Christmas goose under his shirt. Regardless, but after watching Carlos Vela wear down the Barcelona back line for 80 minutes yesterday, it appears that sometimes the fat people can do a job. Again, the OX might be the better bet, but overeating IS a problem…. Ah well…. Speaking of Christmas and players from Spain, how bout a winger/forward with a bit of potential. That guy from Atletico, (Not El Tigre, Falcao, too pricey….), Adrian Lopez, might be something….
So, no result, but at least Theo got his goal (after all those offsides and no conscience whatsoever about leaving Bacary Sagna completely on his own down the right) AND Santi got his assist….. We’re not THAT bad, we just need better luck with calls (the pen, of course, was well won with a dive….), with “sickness” (or injury or full squad health) and it might not be a bad time to spend a little money for somebody who might help us now or in the future.
The group, or at least those who have been doing the work and deserve some playing time (i.e., everybody who played excepting Arshavin) ARE trying (and perhaps the manager deserves a bit of credit for this). Again only 2 subs were used and we had 3 key players out. Still, this means we have a team of 16 guys and one of them is Abou Diaby! (OK, 17 if you add in Rosicky….). It’s patently ridiculous given the low interest rates for our money in the bank. Wenger is doing alright (with the current group) but must add. OK, it’s over and (I think) we’ll be alright if we win our next home game(s). I need to watch more football (soccer, not American hand off or catch). As such, I will now do penance and watch RVP lead out United at the Lane. It’s painful, but I’m curious to see how Spurs look for the (long) competition for 4th…..
Please restore the GDC or expect further match commentary….with no 140 character limit…..
Terrible first half, better second half, but too late.
Which is Arsenal’s consistency defined. Though, of course, not what you had in mind.
Chelsea’s home woes may be directly attributed to the very frosty fan reaction to the firing of Di Matteo. It can’t help but affect the players negatively when fans are more intent on booing Abramovich and Benitez rather than getting behind their team. Arsenal are pretty much in the same situation and collected only 3 more points at home for the season, albeit, playing 2 more away games.
As I have always maintained, booing your team is always counter productive. Unfurl your banners inside and outside the stadium, have your marches, blog about it, flood the AFC site with emails, but never boo your players. And yes, I know it’s a free world and there is freedom of speech. But, booing your own players and slagging them through Twitter, FB and on countless blogs every day, further reduces the chances they will ever come good again for your club.
Back to the main topic, which is tomorrows game. Theoretically, Arsenal should have the edge because of our excellent away record and inversely, Chelsea’s poor home performances.
One major key will be how our defense handles the creative thrust of our opponents front four which will be some combination of Mata, Ba, Hazzard, Oscar, Moses and Torres. Typically, small mobile players of that ilk has given us trouble in the past and if we decide to play a high line we could be shredded to pieces. If Wenger decides to keep Diaby and Coq in the middle as we did against Swansea and drop the line back a tad we should be able to cope.
The second major key is how we move forward offensively and press as a team. Personally, I would move Cazorla over to the right, bring back Poldi on the left and give our new gazillionaire, Theo, the chance to prove he is deserving of his new contract.
My heart tells me we will win 3-2 and my brain condemns us to a 1-4 pasting.
Comfortable home win for Chelsea