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London rivals Chelsea and Arsenal are set to lock horns in a midweek Premier League encounter at Stamford Bridge.
The Gunners and Blues have etched their names into Premier League folklore having played out a host of memorable fixtures between them, including Robin van Persie's hat-trick in West London, Chelsea's 6-0 rout to mark Arsene Wenger's 1000th game in charge of the Gunners, and many more historic moments.
Their most recent meeting was an explosive showdown at the Emirates, for which Mikel Arteta made a staggering six changes from their previous outing. The Spaniard's gamble paid off as Arsenal were imperious against Frank Lampard's Blues and won 3-1 on the night, bringing their seven-game winless run to an end.
The tables have turned ahead of their upcoming fixture as Chelsea are arguably one of the best teams in Europe at the moment under Thomas Tuchel, and are into the finals of the UEFA Champions League and the FA Cup.
The German has only seen his side lose twice in 25 games across all competitions since taking over from Lampard, and they've won 17 of them. Chelsea have conceded just 11 goals in this period, with five of them coming in one game against West Brom.
On the other hand, Arsenal are currently in ninth place in the table and have had a miserable, trophyless season after crashing out of the Europa League semi-finals at the hands of Unai Emery's Villarreal.
On Wednesday, Arteta will be tasked with leading his side to Stamford Bridge to face an in-form Chelsea. Ahead of the game, here, we take a look at five key players to watch out for.
#5 Kai Havertz | Chelsea
German superstar Kai Havertz didn't have the best of starts to life at Stamford Bridge. The Chelsea man took time to settle into life under Lampard and was also sidelined after contracting the COVID-19 virus earlier on. However, matters have changed drastically since Tuchel took over as the German attacker has looked much more devastating than he did at the start of the season.
Playing as an inside forward off the right or centrally as a 'hybrid' as Tuchel calls him, Havertz has been in superb touch over the last few weeks. Although he doesn't have too many goals to show for, the 21-year-old has, more often than not, run the show in the final third. With the freedom Havertz has been given in the final third, the Gunners' defenders must be careful not to be dragged out of position.
#4 Gabriel Martinelli | Arsenal
Not many knew of Gabriel Martinelli before he moved to the Emirates back in 2019. While the promising Brazilian had a respectable start to life at Arsenal, it was against Chelsea that the teenager announced himself on the big stage with a wonder-goal back in January 2020. he led a ten-man Arsenal's counter and sprinted 67 yards to score a goal that helped his side leave Stamford Bridge with a point.
Fast forward to over a year later, and Martinelli's career hasn't progressed as much as he'd have hoped due to untimely injuries. However, the 19-year-old is still held in high regard by his club and manager.
Martinelli will look to end his season strongly with a memorable display at Stamford Bridge, the same venue which saw him endear himself to the Gunners faithful with that stunning goal 14 months ago.
Also read: 5 Best Premier League players outside the traditional top 6 clubs
#3 Thiago Silva | Chelsea
Eyebrows were raised when Chelsea signed Brazilian veteran Thiago Silva at the age of 35, but he proved to be a fantastic addition to the Blues' struggling defence. Matters were made even better by Tuchel's arrival as the German has worked with Silva in the past and instilled the former Paris Saint-Germain captain at the heart of his near-unbreachable defensive unit.
Silva started for Chelsea in their previous game against Arsenal, which saw them run ragged and lose 3-1 to Arsenal's youthful side. The loss at the Emirates was one of only three instances that saw Chelsea concede three goals in a Premier League game with Silva in the starting XI. He could possibly look to make amends for a poor display against them last time out and help his side keep a clean sheet.
#2 Willian | Arsenal
After playing week in week out for the best part of nearly a decade for Chelsea, Willian became the latest addition to the list of players who crossed the city divide to join their rivals, Arsenal. The Brazilian winger registered two assists on his league debut for the Gunners but managed just three assists in the following 24 (!) games and has had a miserable campaign for Arteta's side.
The 32-year-old will return to West London to face his former club at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, and could have a point to prove against the club that allowed him to leave on a free transfer.
Willian scored his first-ever league goal for Arsenal on Sunday with a delightful free-kick and could look to end his season in good form, possibly with a goal against Tuchel's Blues.
#1 Mason Mount | Chelsea
Regardless of the managers in charge, systems deployed, or the positions he's played in, Mason Mount has continued to deliver time and time again for his boyhood club. Mount has featured regularly since breaking into the senior side last season and has gone on to establish himself as one of the best young players in the world, let alone in the Premier League.
The 22-year-old star was deservedly given some time to rest after his heroics against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League semi-final as he did not feature against Manchester City at the weekend.
Mount is expected to return to the lineup on Wednesday and will look to continue his fantastic season so far with a great display against Arsenal after being bested by them last December.
