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Chelsea host city rivals Arsenal on Wednesday in an enticing London derby in the Premier League.
A massive 12 points separate the sides in the table as the Blues are headed back to the Champions League while the Gunners are staring at the prospect of missing out on European football for the first time in over two decades.
In what's been a truly atrocious campaign for Arsenal, Mikel Arteta's side are languishing ninth in the standings with just 15 wins from 35 games, they come in the derby on the back of back-to-back victories.
Their rivals, meanwhile, have turned their fortunes around under Thomas Tuchel, who's already guided them into the FA Cup and Champions League finals, and now look to finish further up the charts.
Despite their contrasting trajectory, Arsenal got the better of their rivals in their last clash, thumping Chelsea 3-1 at the Emirates. So revenge will definitely be on the home side's mind.
Ahead of the kick-off, let's see how Arsenal and Chelsea line-up in a combined XI:
Goalkeeper: Edouard Mendy (Chelsea)
Bernd Leno has been a reliable figure between the sticks for Arsenal and would've made the cut here for some other game. However, the impact that Edouard Mendy has had since joining from Rennes makes it impossible for us to ostracize him from this XI.
With 16 clean sheets in the league, the most since only Ederson, and 54 saves, the Senegalese has proven to be a massive upgrade on the erroneous Kepa Arrizabalaga, permanently displacing the Spaniard as Chelsea's number one choice in goal.
A physically dominant goalkeeper with exceptional aerial strengths and widely regarded for his kicking ability, Mendy doesn't hesitate to come off his line if the situation demands it, while he's also saved one penalty - as much as his predecessor has managed in more than twice the number of appearances.
Right-back: Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea)
He's been deployed as a right-sided centre-back in Tuchel's back three, but given the lack of quality options with Arsenal in this position, we've regardless opted to place him in his natural habitat. The skipper has been excellent at both ends of the pitch and has got the better of Arsenal on numerous occasions in the past.
Centre-back: Rob Holding (Arsenal)
With David Luiz injured and set to miss the reunion with his old side, Rob Holding walks into our XI. In a defense that's looked wobbly for most of the season, the 25-year old has been a calming presence, though never one to shy away from a tackle. His reputation as an emerging centre-back will face another treacherous examination on Wednesday.
Centre-back: Thiago Silva (Chelsea)
No surprises here. The veteran Brazilian has taken to the Premier League like a fish to water. It won't be too much of a stretch to suggest that his arrival has brought a new layer of silk and steel to Chelsea's backline, while his wealth of experience has proved vital for young defenders in the squad to feed off from.
Left-back: Ben Chilwell (Chelsea)
Ben Chilwell is having a good debut campaign with Chelsea and hence slots in here ahead of Kieran Tierney. The Scotsman is a promising talent but still rough around the edges, while Chilwell, who's just a year older than him, has been making waves in the Premier League for quite some time now. He's scored twice and made five assists in the league for the Blues so far too.
Defensive midfielder: N'Golo Kante (Chelsea)
What more is left to say about N'Golo Kante? The midfield metronome continues to be the heartbeat of his side, covering every blade of grass trying to win back possession and feeding the attackers with throughballs of surgical precision. His expansive passing range is the Frenchman's biggest weapon, and the Gunners are in for a treat if they fail to contain him.
Defensive midfielder: Dani Ceballos (Arsenal)
It might seem like a controversial inclusion for some people but the Spaniard's performances in the center of the park have been very underrated this season. He's laid out three assists from that position and boasts an impressive 87% pass completion rate. Ceballos has a tendency to switch off at times - remember his mistake against Villarreal in a crucial Europa League match? - but he cannot afford that against in-form Chelsea and will have to muster his A1 game.
Right winger: Hakim Ziyech (Chelsea)
For the last month or so, we've been seeing the old self of Hakim Ziyech; one which tore defenses asunder with Ajax and convinced the Blues to splash €40 million for his services last summer. He's scored twice against Manchester City in the last three weeks alone, so beware Arsenal - he must be licking his fingers at the prospect of taking on your ramschackle defense.
Attacking midfielder: Mason Mount (Chelsea)
Despite spending over $200 million in the summer transfer market, Chelsea's best player this season has arguably been Mason Mount, their academy graduate. The youngster's influence on the side has grown by leaps and bounds since last year, scoring and assisting six goals each, while his strike against Real Madrid in the Champions League showed he can deliver in the big games too.
Left-winger: Nicolas Pepe (Arsenal)
He's yet to prove the hefty outlay Arsenal made for his services a few years ago, but Pepe is still their best hope right now. With 12 goals in all competitions, the Ivorian is only behind Alexander Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the squad, but the latter two have been highly inconsistent and often struggle with injuries. He'll be the single-biggest threat coming from the visitors.
Striker: Timo Werner (Chelsea)
It hasn't been the most prolific debut campaign in the Premier League for Timo Werner, but he remains valuable for Chelsea. He's made up for the lack of goals by shouldering the creative mantle of the side, providing eight top-flight assists so far and creating space for others to run into with his intelligent off-the-ball movements.
