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In the biggest game of round 2 fixtures of the English Premier League 2021-22 campaign, Arsenal lock horns with local rivals Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Chelsea kicked off their campaign with a comfortable 3-0 win over Crystal Palace at home and will be looking to record a second consecutive win here. Arsenal suffered a 2-0 loss at Brentford, as they were without some of their first-team players on account of injuries and COVID-19.
The north west London derby has produced some remarkable encounters in the Premier League era but here, Chelsea look the favorites to record a win. Both teams have a host of talented players in their ranks who could have an impact on the outcome of the game.
On that note, here we take a look at five players to watch out for in this game.
#5 Marcos Alonso | Chelsea
Marcos Alonso scored Chelsea's first goal of the 2021-22 campaign and had a great game overall against Crystal Palace. The player found himself to be a fringe player last season but left a good account of himself against Crystal Palace.
He put in four tackles in the previous game and also made one key interception. Alonso will probably be up against Nicolas Pepe on the left flank and is expected to live up to his defensive duties.
Defenders are usually not the players that need to be kept an eye on. However, Alonso's dead-ball mastery and ability to link up with attack makes him a player that Arsenal should be wary of.
#4 Bukayo Saka | Arsenal
Arsenal won't be able to call upon Alexandre Lacazette for the game on account of a positive COVID-19 test and Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang is also a doubt. So there are limited attacking options at Mikel Arteta's disposal.
One of the players he can rely upon is Bukayo Saka. Though the 19-year-old started from the bench against Brentford, he is expected to start here.
Last season, he notched up five goals and picked up three assists in the Premier League. Saka is expected to be a productive presence in front of goal against the Blues.
Also See: The 10 highest-paid goalkeepers in the world
#3 Emile Smith Rowe | Arsenal
Emile Smith Rowe is one of the best academy graduates to have emerged out of the Arsenal academy in recent years. The player was recently awarded the prestigious No.10 jersey at the club and that is a sign of the trust Arteta puts on the 20-year-old attacking midfielder.
He played the full 90 minutes against Brentford and finished with an astonishing 98% passing accuracy. Though the Gunners weren't able to find the back of the net, Rowe also created two key passes in the loss.
He is expected to go up against the likes of Jorginho and N'Golo Kante in the middle of the park and needs to be at his best.
#2 Mateo Kovacic | Chelsea
Chelsea have two outstanding midfielders in their ranks in Jorginho and N'Golo Kante but Mateo Kovacic has also been impressive in his recent outings. The former Real Madrid star was awarded the No.8 jersey at the club recently. He did justice to it with a great performance in the middle of the park against Crystal Palace.
He picked up an assist for Trevoh Chalobah's 58th-minute screamer. He was a creative force in the middle of the park, having two key passes to his name and also completed 97% of his passes throughout the game.
While Jorginho and Kante do the dirty work in midfield, Kovacic is usually the one moving the ball quickly from a defensive position into the final third. He will be a player who can make a difference for Chelsea against Arsenal.
#1 Romelu Lukaku | Chelsea
Chelsea will have their marquee signing of the season and former player Romelu Lukaku against Arsenal. The Belgian striker has been in terrific form for Inter Milan, scoring 24 league goals last season. It is expected that he will be able to settle into the squad with ease as he used to play in a similar system at Inter Milan.
Chelsea have had problems with finding a reliable No.9 as Timo Werner has been misfiring and that's where Lukaku could add tremendous value.
Arsenal do not have a solid defense at the moment and could struggle to contain an in-form Lukaku.
Also See: 10 best goalkeepers in the world this season (2020-21)
