Chelsea vs Arsenal: 3 Key Decisions That Will Decide the Game

It's only the second round of the 2018/19 Premier League season and Arsenal have their task cut out as they take on another Top Six side this weekend. Having lost 2-0 to Manchester City in the opening round of fixtures, they now face London rivals, Chelsea.

Two new managers in Unai Emery and Maurizio Sarri are getting their feet wet in England's top flight and both teams will be experimenting with tactics, formations, and lineups in the early parts of the season as players grasp a new philosophy.

The late kickoff at Stamford Bridge on Saturday will not be the first time they are facing each other as new managers, though. They played out a 1-1 draw in the International Champions Cup earlier this month where the Gunners won 6-5 in the ensuing penalty shootout.

But this fixture is crucial to both teams' top four hopes. Having missed out on the Champions League this season, they will be raring to get back into the mix. But what will decide who goes home with all three points?

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#1 Arsenal's midfield combination

Lucas Torreira should start for Arsenal against Chelsea

Against City, Emery attempted to play a 4-2-3-1 formation but with his midfielders in a myriad of roles. Mesut Ozil was out on the right, Henrikh Mkhitaryan was out on the left drifting in, and Aaron Ramsey was in the centre tasked with playing much higher up the pitch.

It was a tactic used to play on the counter but a lack of pace on the wing saw Arsenal fail to test Ederson on counter-attacks. The absence of new £26.5m signing Lucas Torreira in the base of midfield also saw them concede two goals from the central part of the pitch.

Emery could start 19-year-old Matteo Guendouzi again but this time he could partner him alongside Torreira. The combination could work with Torreira's ball-winning ability complemented by Guendouzi's movement to link defence and attack.

The Gunners will look to play on the counter-attack against Sarri's possession-hogging Chelsea. Whether Emery decides to play a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3, Torreira will be key. His passing range and ability to release forwards from deep positions is what Chelsea will have to watch out for.

Ozil will also have to move back to a no.10 role which could mean Aaron Ramsey may have to be benched. If he chooses to start Ramsey in the no.10 role while Ozil plays out wide again, the Welshman will have to put Chelsea's Jorginho on a leash and prevent him from dictating play.

#2 Chelsea's defensive pairing

Should David Luiz be starting for Chelsea?

Antonio Conte's departure and Sarri's arrival saw Chelsea return to back-four and it has taken them some time to adapt. Having played a back-three for the better part of two seasons, personnel have been moved around.

Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso will play as their two full-backs but David Luiz in central defence has been vulnerable. The Brazilian is not the same defender he was when he commanded a then-record £50m transfer fee when he moved to Paris Saint-Germain

In the two games this season, Luiz has certainly not convinced his manager that he can thrive in a back-four. He has made errors at the back and his partnership with Antonio Rudiger has not exactly flourished.

With Chelsea playing a high line, Sergio Aguero was able to beat the offside trap and take shots on goal. One can only imagine what the pace of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on the counter-attack could do to Chelsea's backline.

Andreas Christensen, who impressed in his first full season last year should get a look-in. He is safer on the ball, not prone to giving it away easily, and is far more disciplined compared to the erratic Brazilian.

#3 Pedro's role out wide vs Stephan Lichtsteiner

Pedro and Eden Hazard should start together against Arsenal

Eden Hazard is Chelsea's biggest star but he was rested (after a gruelling World Cup campaign) for the first round fixture at Huddersfield and came on only in the final stages to toy with their defenders. Against Arsenal, Sarri will surely give Hazard a start.

However, Pedro might be their key man against Arsenal. The Gunners have a crisis at left-back with Nacho Monreal unfit, while Sead Kolasinac and stand-in full-back Ainsley Maitland-Niles are out for a few weeks with injuries.

New signing Stephan Lichtsteiner had to play as a left-back after coming on in the match against City and he did a decent job of keeping Riyad Mahrez in check. Sarri will have seen that and may ask Pedro (and right-back Cesar Azpilicueta) to stretch the game out on the right.

Stephan Lichtsteiner may continue to operate at left-back

This is where Torreira will have to help out the veteran defender playing on the left flank instead of his favoured right flank. The Uruguayan midfielder will have to drop deep and cover for him when he is in Chelsea's half.

Whoever plays out on the left for Arsenal will also have to track back. Mkhitaryan did that to help out Maitland-Niles but it saw him go missing in attack as a result. Emery may have to play someone who can balance the two.