please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Venue: Emirates Stadium Sunday, April 26th 2015 KO Time: 16.00 BST please log in to view this image Head to Head Against Chelsea Played: 169 Won: 66 Drawn: 48 Lost: 55 Goals For: 240 Goals Against: 226 Goal Difference: 14 Last 6 Meetings: Chelsea 2-0 Arsenal Chelsea 6-0 Arsenal Arsenal 0-0 Chelsea Arsenal 0-2 Chelsea (League Cup) Chelsea 2-1 Arsenal Arsenal 1-2 Chelsea please log in to view this image Arsène Wenger has revealed the latest team news ahead of Sunday's Premier League clash against Chelsea: on the latest team news… Last week against Reading, Per Mertesacker got injured and he has not been out [training] since. He’s still in the treatment room and I don’t know if he will be available or not. [He is] 50/50 [to start against Chelsea] at the moment. Apart from Mertesacker, everybody else [from last weekend] should be available. on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain… He’s still out, he has not been in training. He’s not being considered at all. on Mikel Arteta… He’s getting closer. He’s back in full training but is still a bit short physically to go into a game of this intensity. on Gabriel… He’s ready [to step up]. He came on in the FA Cup semi-final and I think if Per is not ready, Gabriel will start. Starting XI: please log in to view this image Subs: Szczęsny Debuchy Gibbs Wilshere Flamini Walcott Welbeck
Unsure about who plays RW. Could be Theo, Ramsey or Welbz IMO but I feel like Wenger will stick with Welbz this time for the extra physicality he brings. If Oxo was fit he'd be in that slot for sure.
I reckon he'll keep Ramsey RW for the energy he gives us. Personally I would move Ozil out the wing for this game. Ramsey's energy in the midlle of the park will be a big help to Coquelin in stopping Fabregas and Oscar
I should be more confident than I am about playing Chelsea at this point. Our record at the Emirates is formidable and we are on a great run of form. Don't want it to end just yet. Going down the conservative route and hoping we can get a point out of this match unless Chelsea luck out and take all three. Its a huge opportunity to make a statement ahead of next season, by beating the probable PL winners. We'll have to address our stage fright in front of goal as well, if we want to get anything out of this game. Our last four matches against them, we've scored zero goals and conceded 10.
That's a blow, as I know he's looked a little suspect at times, but his partnership with Kos has been very solid during this winning run, and Chelsea isn't the game I'd chose to for a new defensive partnership. Still if they lose all of Drogba, Remy and Costa then maybe it'll (more than) even itself out
I don't like Ramsey on the wing, he doesn't play good there, it didn't work seasons ago when Wenger put him there, and I don't think it will work now. Either play him in the middle or don't play him at all, Ramsey is not a winger. So if it's between Ramsey-Welbeck on the wing, I'd go for Welbeck for his pace-strength....It can either be one or the other, start Welbeck on the wing and Ramsey on the bench, or play Ramsey in midfield and Ozil can play on the left wing coming inside as he usually does, with Sanchez out wide-right.
Honestly the only player who I fear the living **** out of is Hazard. The kid is so ****ing good. Best dribbler in the league, he's so difficult to dispossess unless you hack him down.
I agree Arsenal87 that Ramsey is no way as effective on the wing, and we saw the worst of that against Reading, where he kept drifting in, with no one drifting out to replace him - meaning we had no penetration/out let on the right, with a congested central area. But he was very effective against Liverpool in that area. Personally I'd like to see Ramsey and Santi both central, and constantly swapping - with one going forward and one staying back and supporting Coq - then whoever is forward can interchange with Ozil and Sanchez to confuse the defence and create space. Giroud is a must to start, and while Welbeck offers a high work rate, I feel he always chooses the wrong option in his runs, and runs away from space instead of to it, and is slightly poor technically, meaning some moves break down because of him. I don't think we can afford that against Chelsea, as we need to stretch them and be ruthless.
Arsene said the reason he chose Debuchy for the cup was because Hector had played a lot and taken a few knocks. Course, that backfired by having to play an intense 120 minutes when clearly not match fit! For that reason I think Bellerin will start this one and I think if we approach it with the same conservative approach that has served us well against the top sides we should do ok. TBH I thought we'd done alright against them last time despite losing 2-0!
Good point about Debuchy, I doubt is in the right shape to play another 90 minutes at very high intensity and marking someone like Hazard, so soon after the 120 mins against Reading. I'd still like to see Walcott involved off the bench, but I've been saying this for at least a month, so I can't see it happening now...
Hazard gives me the ****s. If we can keep him quiet we have a chance. He's a nightmare to play against.
I had a nightmare of this game.. Arsenal started well but Chelsea sat back and double/triple teamed on Sanchez as he was the only one who seemed to be able to conjure something up. On a rare Chelsea attack Hazard beat 3 or 4 defenders and won a corner, which Fabregas took and Terry scored from. As Arsenal pushed forward, Drogba found himself in plenty of space and one on one with the keeper to make it 2. Pundits hailed Mourinho as a brilliant tactician while Arsenal were labelled as naiive again.... Oh Arsenal PLEEEEAAASSSSEEEE prove my dreams wrong.
