Big Match Preview: Arsenal vs. Chelsea

The Emirates

16.00

Sunday, 26^th of April 2015.

TV: Sky Sports 1

The Teams

Arsenal (Possible 4-2-3-1) David Ospina, Mathieu Debuchy, Per Mertesacker, Laurent Koscielny, Kieran Gibbs; Francis Coquelin; Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez; Olivier Giroud.

Out: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (groin)

Tests: Per Mertesacker

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Chelsea (Possible 4-2-3-1) Thibaut Courtois, Branislav Ivanovic, Gary Cahill, John Terry, Cesar Azpiliceuta; Kurt Zouma, Nemanja Matic; Oscar, Cesc Fabregas, Eden Hazard, Diego Costa.

Out: N/A

Tests: Diego Costa (hamstring), Loic Remy (calf), Didier Drogba (ankle).

Team news

Arsenal

Arsene Wenger’s men may often be known for their fragility, piling up on the injury table throughout the season, in recent weeks they North-London club have boasted a fine bill of health. Indeed, even Abou Diaby is – in theory – match fit. The only definite absentee from tomorrow’s squad is winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain out of action with a groin strain, with an expected return of about April 4^th.

Chelsea

Chelsea meanwhile have a generally fit squad – but will have to sweat on late fitness tests for at least two of their three strikers. Diego Costa hasn’t featured in a couple weeks and could return if he passes the late fitness test which he’ll have to undertake alongside striker partner Loic Remy, while Didier Drogba’s return hangs in the balance too.

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Insight

Sunday represents the last chance a relatively poor Premier League season has of redemption this Sunday as Arsenal host Chelsea in what presents itself as the dimmest chink of hope left for the Gunners in their unlikely title challenge. Chelsea sits atop The Premier League summit with a ten point lead.

In truth it seemed when Chelsea beat Manchester United 1-0 last weekend the title was all but theirs, given their victorious celebrations after the final whistle. With six games remaining Jose Mourinho will reiterate to his players the need for utmost focus and determination as they hunt down the title for the first time since his return to Chelsea.

Mourinho spoke bullishly about his critics ahead of the game, speaking of how he has dealt with various injuries throughout the season: “In the first part of the season we had Courtois, Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta, Matic, Fabregas, Willian, Oscar, Hazard and Diego Costa,” noted the Chelsea boss.

“Everybody knew the Chelsea team. We then progressively lost the balance of our team. From a certain moment Diego was injured, Diego was suspended, Matic was suspended, Fabregas was injured, Diego was injured again.”

Mourinho retaliated after his Arsenal counterpart Arsene Wenger questioned his side’s defensive tactics.

Wenger provoked the Blues boss this week, saying: “It is easy to defend.”

“It’s not easy. If it was easy, you wouldn’t lose 3-1 at home to Monaco.” Jose Mourinho

Mourinho retorted by mentioning Arsenal’s Champions League last-16 exit in February, saying: “It’s not easy. If it was easy, you wouldn’t lose 3-1 at home to Monaco.”

Elsewhere Arsene Wenger all but conceded the match for Arsenal is as much about the consolidation of 2nd place as anything: “We want to continue to win and strengthen our position in second place because that’s far from being done. We have an opportunity to get closer to Chelsea and we want to take it.”

Following nine successive victories – a run which has got Arsenal to an FA Cup final – Wenger reflects upon last week’s game with glee: “We deserved to win the game – we had 72 per cent possession and 23 shots on goal,” he told Arsenal Player.

“But I will never forget when Pogrebnyak was through with five or six minutes to go and they had the opportunity to make it 2-1,” said Wenger

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Interesting Stat: Arsenal have won 39 of their 84 head-to-heads against Chelsea on home turf – 16 more than Sunday’s opponents.

Key Battle: As ever the key battle in such a game will take place in central midfield where a war of attrition will ensue. Chelsea’s unrelenting and unfashionable midfield of Nemanja Matic and Kurt Zouma has resulted in three clean sheets in their last six Premier League games. Arsenal on the other hand also line up with a low block pivot with Francis Coquelin partnering Santi Cazorla.

While Coquelin does add some much needed aggression and necessary simplistic play to Arsenal’s midfield, his relative inexperience won’t be helped by played alongside Cazorla on Sunday, who is nominally an attacking midfield player. Since returning from loan at Charlton, Coquelin has started 13 Premier League games wherein he’s displayed the type of no holds barred performances not seen at Arsenal since the heady days of Patrick Viera.

Coquelin averages an impressive 3.58 tackles, 3.83 interceptions and 4.81 clearances per 90 minutes, while he’s also managed six blocks during the current campaign. These stats put Coquelin among the very best defensive midfielders in England today, such as Chelsea’s Nemanja Matic (4.91 tackles and 1.73 interceptions p90). Coquelin will have a stern job on his hands (or feet) on Sunday and will need to be at his best to outfight and out-muscle the Chelsea midfield.

The interesting aspect of Chelsea’s midfield isn’t particularly Matic – although he’s not been at his bet this calendar year, we all know his supreme capabilities. It’s ugly, but effective. Kurt Zouma on the other-hand has been an exciting factor in the midfield of late for the Blues. While basically a central-defender, Zouma’s energy and athleticism has provided a much-needed fresh dynamic for Chelsea.

Prediction: Arsenal 1-1 Chelsea

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