Chelsea host Arsenal in the Premier League this Saturday in a game that will be a key indicator of not only who stands the best chance of returning to the top four after missing out on Champions League qualification last season but also which team has coped best with the change in management, Maurizio Sarri and Unai Emery replacing Antonio Conte and Arsene Wenger respectively.
So, how exactly will a match where nobody knows quite what to expect unfold? Football FanCast take a look at where Chelsea vs Arsenal will be lost and won this weekend…
The Key Battle – Marcos Alonso vs Hector Bellerin
Both of Manchester City’s goals last weekend were sourced from Benjamin Mendy’s powerful runs on the overlap, the French left-back setting up Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva, and Marcos Alonso will hope he can capitalise on the lack of protection Mesut Ozil gave Hector Bellerin in a similar fashion.
Although there are greater defensive obligations on the Spaniard following his shift from wing-back to full-back, getting forward is still the strongest part of his game and Eden Hazard’s many marauds into more central positions will create space for him to attack out wide – especially with Chelsea boasting home advantage.
[ad_pod ]
Bellerin did his best against City considering how exposed Ozil left him, but it could quickly end up being another affair where the the 23-year-old is facing two-on-one scenarios for much of the ninety minutes. How well he copes with that, while occasionally providing width for the German playmaker at the other end, could be the difference on Saturday.
The Key Dynamic – Midfield Battle
Arsenal and Chelsea have both moved to restructure their midfields this summer with a particular emphasis on the base of the engine room. Jorginho and Lucas Torreira are by no means likeminded players; the former is a somewhat stationary Pirlo-esque playmaker while the latter is a scrappy, nippy warrior who will fight for every ball and cover as much ground as possible.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”278881″ player=”12034″ title=”Rafa’s Pub Facts Kane’s Kryptonite & London’s Biggest Losers”]
Nonetheless, they’ve both been brought in to change the dynamics of their respective midfields and that could well be where this encounter is eventually lost and won. After all, Arsenal struggled for functionality against Manchester City last weekend, particularly across the attacking midfield berth that was ineffective for much of the game, whereas Jorginho has already laid the foundations for an impressive partnership with N’Golo Kante – while late loan arrival Mateo Kovacic could end up making his Blues debut as well.
At the moment it looks like advantage Chelsea in the middle of the park, but that could quickly change on Saturday.
The Deciding Factor – Who’s Adapted Best?
Having both welcomed new managers this summer and lost 2-0 to Manchester City in subsequent weekends, there are obvious comparisons to draw between Arsenal and Chelsea at this moment in time. These are both new-look teams that have only really been conceived over the last few weeks, looking to make significant changes in both style and mentality after underperforming throughout 2017/18.
The big question then, is which side has adapted better to the methods of their new manager. On the one hand, Chelsea welcomed back a number of key players late after the World Cup but were utterly dominant, even without Hazard, against Huddersfield last weekend. On the other, Emery’s had most of his players available to him for most of the summer – but Arsenal looked clunky and disorganised for much of the defeat to Manchester City.
Because both teams finished so close in the Premier League last season, separated by just a single place, and have now entered new eras, this clash is a real litmus test of who has made the most progress since the end of last term.
The Impact Subs – Olivier Giroud vs Alex Iwobi
Olivier Giroud could become only the second player to score for both teams in this Premier League fixture, after Cesc Fabregas, should he make the squad this Saturday having sat out the Premier League’s opening weekend. And the Frenchman’s potential return couldn’t come at a better time – Alvaro Morata looked desperately short of confidence against City and Huddersfield and really can’t be relied upon to find the net at the moment.
If things don’t improve within the first hour, we could well see Sarri bring Giroud on for a different kind of presence and, theoretically at least, greater goalscoring threat.
Arsenal’s key impact sub, meanwhile, is perhaps a less obvious choice. Alex Iwobi hasn’t exactly uprooted trees since graduating from the club’s youth ranks but he could become an important player for Emery this season simply because of the complexion of the squad he’s inherited from Arsene Wenger.
It lacks natural wide men and although that’s not a necessity in Emery’s usual 4-2-3-1 setup, the 22-year-old offers a crucial variation for when that system isn’t quite working.
[ad_pod ]
