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After an exhilarating Champions League match-up, we are down to some league actions once again with Premier League promising to be yet another cracker as 2 of the top London sides, Arsenal and Chelsea, are all set to lock horns over the weekend.Having completely wrecked Arsene Wenger’s 1000th game-in-charge back in March with a 6-0 annihilation, Jose Mourinho and his team are out to spoil Wenger’s yet another celebratory occassion, of 18 years at the helm, as they host local rivals at Stamford Bridge in a heart-stirring encounter.The Gunners will surely be gunning for a revenge but their chances of doing so look bleak as there are certian issues that will plague Wenger’s side during the clash. We enumerate 4 such shortcomings that’ll hamper Arsenal’s chance of winning over Chelsea.
#1 Midfield casualties
Arsenal enter this game without two of their most important midfield players – Mikel Arteta and Aaron Ramsey. While Arteta is required to provide protection to the back 4, Ramsey is one of the Gunners’ most potent threats going forward. Without the Welshman in the side, it is very difficult to find a regular goalscorer anywhere on the pitch for Arsenal. While Alexis Sanchez has been on a good run recently, Ramsey’s ability to score at the vital moment is unmatched by anyone else in the side
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Arteta’s absence means that Mathieu Flamini will start in the pivot ahead of the defensive line for Arsenal. The Frenchman’s form has been very suspect since he rejoined the Gunners from AC Milan last year, and he has gone missing on more than one occasion in big games. With Chelsea capable of punishing even the slightest mistake, Flamini’s performance will be very important in keeping out the Blues.
#2 Shambolic defence and injuries at the back
Arsenal’s chances of making it to the top 3, let alone winning the Premier League, have been severely dented due to a haphazard defence . They’ve conceded an average of 43 goals in last 5 seasons and the fallibility seems to persist this season as well, as the Gunners’ have managed to keep only 1 cleansheet in opening 6 games of the league.
And to compound their misery, first-choice right-back Mathieu Debuchy, has been ruled out for 3 months with an ankle injury and has only 3 fully fit first choice defenders. Youngster Calum Chambers will be deployed to mark Eden Hazard. The Belgian is one of the most best in the world in a one-on-one situation, and the 19 year-old Chambers is vastly inexperienced in such high-profile games,
Also, the duo of Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny have been unconvincing this season and will have to up their game when they come up against hotshot, Diego Costa. The Spaniard has rocked the Premier League ever since he made his debut and will once again be the player to watch out for. Arsenal will once again be at the receiving end of a gruesome result if the maverick striker is not kept under close check and will therefore, have to brush-up the back-line.
#3 Dismal record against formidable opposition
Arsenal’s record against the big sides in the last couple of years has been nothing else but atrocious. They were not just beaten, but absolutely decimated in games against Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea last season. The Gunners conceded 17 goals in the three away games against these sides, losing 6-3, 5-1 and 6-0 at the Etihad, Anfield and Stamford Bridge respectively. Manchester United also managed to beat them 1-0 at home, despite an underwhelming season, thereby highliting Arsenal’s poor away record against high-profile teams.
Even when their form was relatively good, Arsenal struggled against sides around them in the table. And this season, despite a positive start, the north Londeners have had a mediocre campaign, with 4 of their opening 6 games ending in a stalemate. These fixtures include the one against Everton, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspurs, all of which have ended in a draw.
Their incapabilities against formidable sides are very visible and this Sunday’s battle against an in-form Chelsea may surely be a nightmare for Wenger and his team.
#4 Chelsea\'s fine run and the deadly duo of Costa and Fabregas
Chelsea have undoubtedly been the team of the season so far. 5 victories and 1 draw from their opening 6 games sees them in a very comfortable position even at this early stage in the season. Mourinho marvellously addressed the weaknesses from last season in the transfer market, and new signings Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas have made instant impacts.
The Brazil born Spanish international was key to Atletico’s fantastic 2013-14 season and was snapped up by the Blues right at the start of the tranfer window and has not disappointed till now. He currently leads EPL goal-scoring charts with 8 goals and appears to be in good form. Whereas his Spanish compatriat, Cesc Fabragas, too, has been impressive having 7 assists to his name in the league and also has a passing accuracy of 88.8%.
The duo will once again be a their deadliest best and will be lurking for every opportunity to make Arsenal rue.
