Feb 4, 2017

MATCH PREVIEW: Chelsea [?] or Arsenal [?]


Chelsea host Arsenal at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Saturday February 4, kicking off at 12:30 GMT.

It's the top of the table clash this weekend, which could, in theory, put the title beyond Wenger's side. If Arsenal loses, they will be 12 points behind the league leaders (Chelsea).

Antonio Conte keen on preaching caution, he said "Anything can happen. It's important to keep the antenna very high. If someone thinks that the league is finished, I'm not so sure. I want to have this tension, this right tension. In the past I fight to win the title and I know we must pay great attention. There are 15 games to play and there are a lot of great teams behind us."

Arsenal were unable to capitalise on Chelsea’s midweek draw with Liverpool as they fell to defeat at Watford. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, knows that defeat could mark the end of his side’s title challenge while a win could blow the race open once more. He had this to say: "When you beat them 3-0 I didn't expect them to go 13 games unbeaten. They have found a better balance. Kante has a huge impact in that team. Hazard and Costa have come back to good form and they are very efficient going forward."
POSSIBLE LINE UP

CHELSEA:
  • Courtois;
  • Azpilicueta, Luiz, Cahill;
  • Moses, Kante, Matic, Alonso;
  • Hazard, Pedro, Costa
Subs: Begovic, Eduardo, Zouma, Aina, Kenedy, Musonda, Terry, Fàbregas, Chalobah, Aké, Willian, Batshuayi, Loftus-Cheek

ARSENAL:
  • Cech;
  • Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal;
  • Coquelin, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ozil, Walcott, Iwobi;
  • Sanchez;
Subs: Ospina, Martínez, Jenkinson, Debuchy, Mertesacker, Gabriel, Holding, Gibbs, Maitland-Niles, Reine-Adélaïde, Sanogo, Welbeck, Pérez, Giroud

INJURY PROBLEMS:

CHELSEA - Conte has no further injury concerns for Saturday's clash with Arsenal, although the Italian coach may privately be concerned with Eden Hazard's lacklustre displays of late, as well as a below-par performance from Victor Moses at Anfield.

ARSENAL - Arsenal have midfield injury problems for the trip across London, with Aaron Ramsey out after coming off against Watford after just 20 minutes with a calf strain.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been used in central midfield with Wenger's options limited of late, though he himself was limping towards the end of the Emirates defeat on Tuesday and faces a ftness test on Friday - along with Olivier Giroud.

The England international's return would be a much-needed boost considering Santi Cazorla is still out and Mohamed Elneny remains at the African Cup of Nations.

Wenger was last Friday given a four-match touchline ban for pushing fourth official Anthony Taylor and using abusive language towards officials in Arsenal's win over Burnley last month.



Arsene Wenger is expected to sit in a designated location in Stamford Bridge's East Stand during Saturday's Premier League clash at Chelsea as a result of his touchline ban. The usual location for a manager banished from the technical area would be the directors' box, which at Stamford Bridge is in the West Stand. But it is understood that Wenger will sit in the East Stand to allow him the permitted access to his players, before, at half-time and after Saturday's match.

The Frenchman has served two matches of his ban so far.

MATCH FACTS

Chelsea’s 3-0 defeat to Arsenal in September was their heaviest against them since April 1997 (also 3-0). They were previously unbeaten in nine Premier League games against Arsenal (W6 D3).

Arsenal have not done the double over Chelsea in the same season since 2003/04 - the season in which they last won the Premier League.

The last Chelsea manager to fail to win either of his first two league games against the Gunners was Jose Mourinho in 2004/05, while the last Chelsea boss to lose both was Glenn Hoddle in 1993/94.

Arsene Wenger has lost his last four league games at Stamford Bridge. The only away ground where he’s lost more in succession is Old Trafford (2009-2013).

The 3-0 loss to Arsenal in September was Antonio Conte’s heaviest league defeat since October 2010 when he was manager of Siena (0-3 vs Empoli).

Diego Costa has scored in two of his four league games against Arsenal and has been booked in the other two.

Chelsea have won eight successive Premier League home games – their best run in the competition since a sequence of 10 wins that ended in January 2015. The aggregate score in these eight games is 24-3 in Chelsea’s favour.


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