Chelsea vs Arsenal: Match Preview

After their shocking defeat to Dinamo Zagreb, Arsenal will be looking to get back to winning ways on the weekend in the Premier League, however they face a tough test ahead of them as they haven’t won at Stamford Bridge since 2011.

However going into the game six points ahead of Chelsea the Gunners may be feeling slightly more optimistic than their previous visits.

The form of Chelsea has surprised everyone this season. With three losses, one win and one draw, Chelsea find themselves 17th with just four points from five games. The Blues are still waiting for their first win at home in the League this season, so is this the perfect time for Arsenal to play them?

There are many weaknesses in this current Chelsea team that Arsenal could exploit.

Firstly the right back position. It is clear to everyone that Branislav Ivanovic is having a poor season, so I would fully expect Wenger to deploy Alexis Sanchez on the left wing to try and cause the Serbian as many problems as possible, Ivanovic was dropped for Chelsea’s Champions League game on Wednesday, however I would expect him to return to the starting 11 on Saturday.

John Terry is another player who has struggled to find his form this season, and things could get worse for the experienced defender as Theo Walcott will most likely start upfront. The frightening pace of Walcott will cause a whole host of problems for the 34 year old, which could force Chelsea into playing slightly deeper to reduce the chances of Walcott getting in behind the Chelsea back four.

Lastly, the central midfield position next to Nemanja Matic is a position Chelsea lack true quality in. Last season Cesc Fabregas was often used there, however he lacks the defensive ability to play in the slightly deeper role. Mikel and Ramires are both capable of playing in this role, but both lack that world class quality you would expect to see from a Chelsea first team player. Mesut Ozil could be a player to expose this weakness, playing in the number 10 role, Ozil could find himself in a lot of space if Nemanja Matic is left exposed by the likes of Cesc Fabregas; the German playmaker has created 20 chances in the Premier League so far this season, so if he is given the space he could cause many problems for the Chelsea defence.