Arsenal vs Chelsea: Six things we can expect to see during the London derby in the race for the Premier League title

Chelsea can take a step closer to the Premier League title with a win at Arsenal,

Jack de Menezes

Thursday 23 April 2015 15:51 BST

Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho clash after Gary Cahill's tackle on Alexis Sanchez (Getty Images)

ARSENAL TO STORM OUT OF THE START BLOCKS

Arsenal always seem to work an early chance against Chelsea, yet fail to take it. This was the case at Stamford Bridge in October as well as in the 6-0 drubbing they received against the Blues last season. On that occasion, Arsenal’s failure to score allowed Chelsea to break down the other end and take the lead through Samuel Eto’o, and it was all downhill for the Gunners from there.

But if they are able to take an early lead, then they’ll have a chance to beat Chelsea at their own game. It’s no secret that Chelsea are experts in protecting a lead, but if they are forced to chase a game, we may yet see a weakness in this side.

CHELSEA TO GROW AND ASSUME CONTROL MIDWAY THROUGH THE FIRST HALF

Should Arsenal fail to score early in the match, expect Chelsea to constrict the Gunners into making mistakes – much like the one that saw Laurent Koscielny give away a penalty at Stamford Bridge – and take the lead as a result. In eight of their last 12 meetings, Chelsea have gone ahead and not relinquished the lead, and you’d tip the league leaders to do exactly the same.

Arsenal v Chelsea combined XI

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1/12Arsenal v Chelsea combined XI

Arsenal v Chelsea combined XI

David Ospina (Arsenal)

Yes, it comes as a shock, but the Colombian makes the cut ahead of Chelsea’s Thibaut Courtois on recent form – as this team is picked – given his impressive spell in the Arsenal goal. Having ousted Wojciech Szczesny from the sticks, Ospina has cemented his role so much that Szczesny looks set to be sold in the summer, and the 26-year-old has conceded just three goals since the start of March, compared to Courtois’s six.

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Arsenal v Chelsea combined XI

Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea)

The utility defender is one of the best right-backs around in the Premier League, and his worth to the team has been shown over the years since his arrival in 2008. Ivanovic is a prime example of a big time, having shown his best form in matches against their top four rivals as well as on the European stage. When these teams met at Stamford Bridge, he was able to keep Alexis Sanchez and Santi Cazorla quiet as the two swapped flanks.

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Arsenal v Chelsea combined XI

John Terry (Chelsea)

He’d probably be the captain too. Terry’s worth to the Blues is unquestionable, and his performances this season show why the club are happy to prolong his career-long spell at Stamford Bridge. He commands the back-line and remains a physical threat at attacking set-pieces, and seems to relish the London derby when he comes up against the Gunners.

Arsenal v Chelsea combined XI

Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal)

Without doubt Arsenal’s most consistent defender, although that doesn’t say a lot given the rest of the options available. That doesn’t do Koscielny justice though, as the Gunners are a much stronger team with the Frenchman in the side as his injury absences in the past have shown. Has an eye for a goal – much like Terry – and his pace at the back remains his strongest trait.

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Arsenal v Chelsea combined XI

Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea)

He may be a natural right-back solving a problem on the left, but it’s some feat to keep out a Champions League finalist and La Liga winner in Filipe Luis. Neither Nacho Monreal or Kieran Gibbs have shown the form to put themselves in consideration, and with Azpilicueta’s perceived weakness coming in the air, he is unlikely to be tested against an Arsenal side notorious for playing on-the-ground technical football.

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Arsenal v Chelsea combined XI

Nemanja Matic (Chelsea)

The Serbian defensive midfielder is probably leading the way in the holding role, although Frances Coquelin as emerged from the Arsenal youth ranks to make the position his own at the Emirates. It’s quite likely that Matic will look to latch on to Mesut Özil, having nullified the playmaker’s threat in the reverse fixture last October that also saw Özil injured for over three months.

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Arsenal v Chelsea combined XI

Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea)

The former Arsenal captain returns to the Emirates for the first time since leaving the club in 2011, and after a mixed reception from the Gunners support last October, the reunion may well be one to forget. However, despite his performances of late not quite matching up to his early season form, he still has the talent and ability to secure three points single-handedly, and his understanding with Eden Hazard – as demonstrated in the 1-0 victory over QPR – gives the Blues a threat that the Gunners currently lack.

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Arsenal v Chelsea combined XI

Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal)

The Chilean has more than justified his expensive transfer last summer having established himself as a firm favourite among the red half of North London. Sanchez has the ability and awareness to play across either flank as well as a prolific goal-threat through the middle, and his ability to come up with goals when the side isn’t at its best – the recent FA Cup semi-final victory over Reading immediately springs to mind – gives Arsenal something they’ve lacked in recent years.

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Arsenal v Chelsea combined XI

Mesut Ozil (Arsenal)

The World Cup winner can be accused of taking time to settle at Arsenal, but he appears to be growing in confidence with each games he comes through. He may not get the plaudits due to his lack of goals, but the chances he’s creating for those around him are of the highest quality, and he’s a big reason why Arsenal head into this weekend’s game off the back of a nine game winning streak.

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Arsenal v Chelsea combined XI

Eden Hazard (Chelsea)

Surely he’ll win the Player of the Year award? Hazard has backed up his promise to challenge for the crown of being named the best player on the planet with a simply sublime season, and he can lay claim to winning his side 11 points single-handedly this term – more than their current 10-point gap at the top. He run Arsenal ragged at Stamford Bridge earlier this season, and it remains clear that Arsene Wenger is yet to work out how to stop the Belgian maestro, who can realistically claim to be among the top three players on the planet.

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Arsenal v Chelsea combined XI

Olivier Giroud (Arsenal)

Had Diego Costa been fit and at his ferocious best, Giroud would probably be sitting among the substitutes, but is yet to overcome his troublesome hamstring injury and while he could return against the Gunners, it’s the Frenchman’s 10 goals in his last 10 starts that locks down his position in our side. However, it’s time for Giroud to step up, as he is yet to register his first goal against Chelsea since arriving at Arsenal in 2012.

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Arsenal v Chelsea combined XI

Manager - Jose Mourinho (Chelsea)

The clash between the two managers in October dominated the headlines, more so than the Blues' 2-0 victory. But the simple fact is that Arsene Wenger is yet to beat Jose Mourinho, which makes this decision an easy one. Until The Professor earns his first win against The Special One, it's a one-horse race.

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On the flip side, if Chelsea begin to get frustrated if they fail to convert their domination into a lead, they could leave themselves open to the Arsenal attack, which is by no means lacking in quality. Give the likes of Santi Cazorla, Alexis Sanchez and Olivier Giroud a sniff, they will waste no chance in seizing their chance.

TENSIONS TO SPILL OVER ON THE SIDELINES

The best battle between the two teams is likely to come off the pitch of Sunday as Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger clash once again. The last time the two stalwarts of the managerial game went toe-to-toe, they had to be separated by officials as Wenger took exception to Gary Cahill’s tackle on Sanchez, primarily by taking aim at Mourinho. That was towards the start of the season, with little on the line and tensions reasonably at a low.

Wenger and Mourinho square-up to each other earlier this season — Wenger and Mourinho square-up to each other earlier this season (Getty Images)

With the two teams now at the forefront of the title race – albeit the Blues a long way ahead – and the fixture coming at the business end of the season, expect frustrations in the Emirates dug-out to boil over at some point. Neither Mourinho nor Wenger are great at hiding their emotions, while their respective coaching staff which includes Rui Faria and Steve Bould need no second invitation.

A LESS THAN WARM WELCOME FOR CESC FABREGAS

Fabregas faced Arsenal for the first time since leaving for Barcelona at Stamford Bridge, so he was able to get a feel for the reception he’s likely to receive on a much bigger scale this weekend. On that occasion, a mixture of applause and jeers greeted the Spaniard to the pitch. While there will be more of those who give the club’s former captain a positive response on his return to North London, they are pretty much guaranteed to be outweighed by the

Hazard and Fabregas celebrate earlier in the season

EDEN HAZARD TO HAVE A SAY IN THE RESULT

The Chelsea wing appears to be in unstoppable form at present on his relentless campaign to win not just the Premier League title, but the PFA Player of the Year award to boot. It’s likely that Hazard will have at least one clear-cut chance at goal that if he takes, will set the wheels in motion towards another Chelsea victory.

Chelsea celebrate after Hazard scores the winner against Manchester United — Chelsea celebrate after Hazard scores the winner against Manchester United (Getty Images)

Yet if the Belgium international fails to take advantage of it, Arsenal will grow in confidence and start to believe that they can emerge victorious from the encounter. If they win on Sunday, who knows what’s possible between now and the end of the season.

BOTH MANAGERS TO PLAY DOWN A VICTORY SHOULD THEIR SIDE WIN

Don’t be fooled by what Messrs Mourinho and Wenger say after the match. Should Chelsea win, expect Mourinho to come out and play down the title race being over, despite his side potentially holding a 13 point gap with 15 points available and a chance to seal the title against Leicester on Tuesday. But if Arsenal win, expect Wenger to claim the seven-point gap is still a difficult challenge to bridge, with the words “anything is possible” thrown in for good measure.

Mourinho will look to talk down the title until it's secured — Mourinho will look to talk down the title until it's secured (Getty Images)

The realistic view is that even if Arsenal win this weekend, it will take an unprecedented collapse from the Blues to prevent them from recapturing the title that they haven’t won since 2010.

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