It’s time for the first North London Derby of the season as
Arsenal take on Chelsea at the Emirates. 18 Yard Box takes a look as to what
can be expected from this clash.
The Gunners are a team well and truly in top form. With 2 wins and 3 draws, which included trips to Anfield, Britannia and Etihad, there is no reason for Arsenal fans to be disappointed. With such a solid start to their campaign, Arsene Wenger should be looking to bag all 3 points on Saturday.
Not the strongest squad of all, but the Gunners are good in all the three departments-attack, midfield & defense. It’s the Spanish duo of Cazorla and Arteta who have been absolutely outstanding in all the matches. Add to it, the back four who have conceded just twice in the League, Arsenal look a well-rounded unit. Also, with 1st choice keeper Szczesny injured, Mannone has grabbed his opportunity with both hands and has dished out some really impressive performances. And most importantly, the absence of Didier Drogba, Arsenal’s long time nemesis, will further bolster their chances of winning the game.
There seems to be only one weakness which Arsenal have - Olivier Giroud. The man upfront hasn’t yet scored a goal in the League.. Although he scored on Wednesday, he also missed from the spot which will hardly please the boss. Plus, Arsenal cannot afford to have any defensive blunders like the one which led to the City goal last weekend. The defence needs to stay alert all the time or else Mata and Hazard might just break it.
The European Champions kicked off their campaign in style with three clinical victories. But their last 2 games have been hardly convincing- a draw at Loftus Road against QPR followed by a scrappy win over Stoke. A trip to the Emirates is what Di Matteo wouldn’t like at this time but then given their lofty ambitions they should be going for a win here.
One of the prime reasons for Chelsea’s League debacle last season was an aged squad. Players couldn’t play 3 matches in 8 days with the same intensity. Now, with the departure of a host of players, Chelsea have infused young blood into the squad. The likes of Mata, Oscar, Hazard, Moses and Marin are all very young and they have the legs to last all the 90 minutes. The Belgian wonder-kid, Eden Hazard has been Chelsea’s biggest strength this season and if he continues with the same form the Blues might as well walk away with a win.
Lack of an out and out striker will hurt Chelsea the most. Toress is nowhere near his best and there is a serious lack of depth in the midfield and at the back for Chelsea. With an enviable record of 13 goals in as many occasions, Arsenal were certainly Drogba’s favorite opponents. His absence will be felt right through the game and the Gunners will be nothing but relieved. Add to it Terry’s 4-match ban will force Luiz and Cahill to take control of the defence. Cahill, not one of the nimble footed ones might face trouble against Cazorla and Podolski.
A game with few chances is what it looks like. As always Arsenal will love to keep the ball, but even a slight lapse and the likes of Hazard and Mata will pounce on them immediately. It will be Arsenal who will try to push for a win with Chelsea happy to sit back and hit on the counter. A goal-fest looks highly unlikely with a draw being the most probable outcome. But with some magic of Cazorla and the backing of the crowd, Arsenal might have the last laugh.
Here we have two teams unbeaten in the league, both fresh
from a thumping win in the domestic cup having scored half a dozen goals each;
both teams are in top gear. This rivalry might not be the greatest of all but
then in terms of the 3 points at stake it’s a really big game. Last season this
fixture was a pretty dull affair with neither team managing to score. But then
who can forget that 8-goal thriller (which Arsenal won 5-3) at Stamford Bridge,
that game probably was the turning point for Arsenal last season. Here is 18
Yard Box’s Pranav Byatnal with the preview and also what might be the probable
outcome.
Arsenal
The Gunners are a team well and truly in top form. With 2 wins and 3 draws, which included trips to Anfield, Britannia and Etihad, there is no reason for Arsenal fans to be disappointed. With such a solid start to their campaign, Arsene Wenger should be looking to bag all 3 points on Saturday.
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| The Deadly Spanish Duo |
Strengths
Not the strongest squad of all, but the Gunners are good in all the three departments-attack, midfield & defense. It’s the Spanish duo of Cazorla and Arteta who have been absolutely outstanding in all the matches. Add to it, the back four who have conceded just twice in the League, Arsenal look a well-rounded unit. Also, with 1st choice keeper Szczesny injured, Mannone has grabbed his opportunity with both hands and has dished out some really impressive performances. And most importantly, the absence of Didier Drogba, Arsenal’s long time nemesis, will further bolster their chances of winning the game.
Weaknesses
There seems to be only one weakness which Arsenal have - Olivier Giroud. The man upfront hasn’t yet scored a goal in the League.. Although he scored on Wednesday, he also missed from the spot which will hardly please the boss. Plus, Arsenal cannot afford to have any defensive blunders like the one which led to the City goal last weekend. The defence needs to stay alert all the time or else Mata and Hazard might just break it.
Chelsea
The European Champions kicked off their campaign in style with three clinical victories. But their last 2 games have been hardly convincing- a draw at Loftus Road against QPR followed by a scrappy win over Stoke. A trip to the Emirates is what Di Matteo wouldn’t like at this time but then given their lofty ambitions they should be going for a win here.
 |
| Drogba will be missed by Chelsea |
Strengths
One of the prime reasons for Chelsea’s League debacle last season was an aged squad. Players couldn’t play 3 matches in 8 days with the same intensity. Now, with the departure of a host of players, Chelsea have infused young blood into the squad. The likes of Mata, Oscar, Hazard, Moses and Marin are all very young and they have the legs to last all the 90 minutes. The Belgian wonder-kid, Eden Hazard has been Chelsea’s biggest strength this season and if he continues with the same form the Blues might as well walk away with a win.
Weakness
Lack of an out and out striker will hurt Chelsea the most. Toress is nowhere near his best and there is a serious lack of depth in the midfield and at the back for Chelsea. With an enviable record of 13 goals in as many occasions, Arsenal were certainly Drogba’s favorite opponents. His absence will be felt right through the game and the Gunners will be nothing but relieved. Add to it Terry’s 4-match ban will force Luiz and Cahill to take control of the defence. Cahill, not one of the nimble footed ones might face trouble against Cazorla and Podolski.
Importance of a Win-
The luxury of boasting of being the unbeaten team at the end and also the fact that the three points here will give a huge boost to the title ambitions of both the teams will spur the duo to perform well. Arsenal although are unbeaten but have got only 2 wins out of 5 for their showings. Languishing 4 points behind their North London rivals, Arsenal are already playing catch up. Arsene Wenger would be hoping that the Gunners come out of this with a win so that they can continue their title charge. On the flip side, Chelsea have Manchester United breathing down their necks. Hence they would love to extend their lead at the top hoping that United fail against Tottenham Hotspurs in their match. These are 3 huge points at stake and the one who gets it will be certainly on the way top.
The Final Verdict-
A game with few chances is what it looks like. As always Arsenal will love to keep the ball, but even a slight lapse and the likes of Hazard and Mata will pounce on them immediately. It will be Arsenal who will try to push for a win with Chelsea happy to sit back and hit on the counter. A goal-fest looks highly unlikely with a draw being the most probable outcome. But with some magic of Cazorla and the backing of the crowd, Arsenal might have the last laugh.
Written By,
Pranav Byatnal
Pranav is an Editor &
Writer for 18 Yard Box.
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