Why it’s clear what result to expect from Chelsea vs Arsenal.
It’s Chelsea vs Arsenal this weekend as the two London giants renew their rivalry. It’s been quite one-sided in recent times, and here’s five reasons the Blues are surely set to win again…
1) Mourinho knows how to beat Wenger
Forgetting the Community Shield, a game that should not be taken too seriously in the context of a competitive league season, Arsene Wenger has never beaten Jose Mourinho. The two managers have very different approaches to the game that mean it is unlikely this record will ever swing much in the Frenchman’s favour. Neither side is playing as well as they can at the moment, but it is Chelsea’s manager who knows better how to handle the big games and to grind out a result when it’s needed.
SEE ALSO:
Chelsea transfer news
Arsenal & Atletico Madrid set for possible midfielder transfer in shock January deal
FA investigating Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho for ‘sexist and abusive’ language towards Eva Carneiro
2) Squad rotation has had different effects
Both teams rotated for their midweek Champions League games, with very different results. Chelsea injected some youth into their side by including Kurt Zouma, Baba Rahman and the excellent Ruben Loftus-Cheek. With a 4-0 win sure to inspire confidence and get that winning feeling back at Stamford Bridge, Mourinho will now hope to build a fresh side without ageing stars like John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic, who have arguably been the main culprits in Chelsea’s poor start to the season.
Arsenal, meanwhile, disrupted any momentum they looked like gaining by making too many unnecessary changes to their side for the Dinamo Zagreb match. Losing 2-1, the likes of David Ospina, Kieran Gibbs and Mikel Arteta were brought back into the first-team, but all performed poorly, putting even more pressure on Wenger’s side for this weekend’s clash.
3) Chelsea’s defence will be better equipped
With Terry out and Zouma in, Chelsea shouldn’t have too much trouble coping with Theo Walcott at centre-forward. The pacey Arsenal man has played well in recent games, and could have had a field day if he’d been up against Terry and Ivanovic. Still, the Blues rely a lot on their defence being strong, and with Mourinho making the required changes, they should be back to their solid best as they take on the Gunners tomorrow lunch time.
4) Blues will have extra motivation
Mourinho is clearly trying out a new approach this week, having banned ‘banter’ at Chelsea training. Make no mistake, the Portuguese coach’s huge ego will have been hurt by this awful run of form, and he will put it right. Coming up against old rivals Arsenal in this potentially decisive London derby, Chelsea will be hugely motivated and will use that commitment and energy to put the Gunners to the sword.
5) Sanchez and Arsenal’s attack not clicking
A team that relies so much on attacking fluency, there’s been little right about Arsenal so far this season. Alexis Sanchez is the one player who can change a game in an instant when he’s at his best, but the Chilean looks tired after a long summer of playing in Copa America and being rushed back into the first-team without a real break. Mesut Ozil fades in and out of games and isn’t the kind who’s going to make a huge impact in a competitive match like this. Without Arsenal playing their best football and creating chances, there’s little hope of them doing anything of note at Stamford Bridge this weekend.