Both Arsenal and Chelsea have had a decent start to the new season. The two London clubs have the same points tally with ten points in the bag. They have won three each, drew one apiece and have even lost a single game each. With the arrival of legendary manager Antonio Conte to South London combined with Arsenal’s mainstay manager Arsene Wenger, the London derby will be one of the most watched derbies in Europe this year thanks to the calibre of the managers and players involved.
However, in order to catch up to Pep Guardiola’s free-scoring Manchester City, this is a must-win game for both the teams. Old foes will rekindle their former disputes while new faces will look to make a positive impact. Let us take a look at three key battles which would decide the outcome at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday night:
#1 Eden Hazard vs Hector Bellerin:
Two of the fastest players in the Premier League are set to lock horns on Saturday night. Twenty-year-old Arsenal right-back Hector Bellerin will face off against a rejuvenated Eden Hazard. The Spaniard took some time to adjust to the Premier League. However, he has shown remarkable improvement since last year. He forced Mathieu Debuchy out of the squad and made the right-back position his own for another few years.
While the clash against Sadio Mane on the opening day of the season proved to be a handful for the young defender, his meeting with Eden Hazard will definitely be one of the biggest obstacles he has faced in his young career.
Meanwhile, last season was certainly a year to forget for the 2014 PFA Player of the Year, Eden Hazard. Nevertheless, the poor form has disappeared and the old Hazard has returned. The hunger for scoring goals, the tenacity to dribble past players and the nonchalant passes has returned. He has once again become Chelsea’s best player and will have a crucial role in determining Chelsea’s outcome for the game.
The overall creativity and passing ability have been the key attributes of the Belgian’s game this season. He has produced 11 goal scoring chances and has supplied 2 assists to add to the 2 goals he has scored himself.
Notably, Bellerin has once again started off slowly this term and is yet to hit last season’s peak. It is important for him to not lose his cool or be caught out of position against Chelsea. The canny Hazard will be waiting for him to slip up and will devour on any loose ball offered to him. This key battle alone could decide the outcome on Saturday night.
#2 Shkodran Mustafi vs Diego Costa:
Spanish forward Diego Costa has had an excellent start to his Premier League campaign. He is the joint top scorer in the Premier League with five goals under his belt. Following a poor season, he has silenced his critics and showed fans his true capabilities. It is extremely positive to learn that Costa has found his form in the Premier League again and will be a sure-fire candidate for the Golden Boot trophy at the end of the campaign.
Come Saturday, he will be against one of the best centre-back pairings in the league (even though they are in an early stage); Arsenal vice-captain Laurent Koscielny and new summer signing Shkodran Mustafi. With Costa and Koscielny having a history, things might spice up in the middle. It will be interesting to see how well Mustafi can contain Costa for the 90 minutes with the help of his partner. The German centre-back has been an excellent purchase by the looks of his initial days for Arsene Wenger.
After playing in the La Liga with Valencia for a couple of seasons, he has hit the ground running in England. Brilliant defensive displays against Southampton and PSG would have increased his confidence level. Tomorrow, the German will be ready to put his skills to the test yet again.
This will be the first time that these two players have come across each other on a football pitch. It will be interesting to see who can deal with the pressure more and cash in on opportunities. On one hand, we have a strong powerful striker in the form of Diego Costa who can travel any length to clinch a point/ victory for his club. On the other, we have a technically sound German defender who can fend off the opposition with ease. It will indeed be a mouth-watering contest.
#3 Alexis Sanchez vs David Luiz
Another interesting battle will be fought out at the opposite end of Arsenal’s goal; free-scoring Alexis Sanchez will be fancying his chances against a terrible Chelsea defence. One defender, in particular, needs to step up if Chelsea has any chance of stopping him. 29-year-old Brazilin defender David Luiz must prove that he is still among the world’s best. After being brought back to Chelsea for €34 million on deadline day, Luiz had a forgettable debut against Liverpool as he was terribly exposed by the pacy Liverpool midfield.
Although he was a bit more solid against Leicester City in the cup fixture, Chelsea ended up leaking a couple of goals. There will be no room for error against a team like Arsenal as the strikers will be ready to capitalise on the smallest of mistakes.
Chilean Alexis Sanchez has enjoyed a great start to the Premier League. After being named as the Player of the Tournament in the Copa America, Sanchez translated his international form to club level where he has scored five times and set up another goal already. With an error prone Chelsea defence next, Sanchez will need no second invitation to slot the ball into the back of the net.
However, there are a few defenders against whom Sanchez tends to struggle. David Luiz is a perfect example. A fast, agile defender who is solid in the air can prove to be a nightmare for the Chilean hitman. Provided that David Luiz and Chelsea are at their defensive best, this contest will prove to be a cracker. Otherwise, the three points will be guaranteed to the North London outfit.
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