Match Preview: Arsenal vs. Chelsea

By: Dan | December 15th, 2007

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“I believe without a doubt that this season will be the most exciting year in the Premier League ever. Since I’ve been here you have never had four teams as tight as this. It’s very difficult to pick one out of the three contenders. For me all three are the same [strengths] but for different reasons. Chelsea because they have the quality, the experience and have done it. Liverpool because they have invested a lot and are keen to win it and Manchester United because they have the individual potential to score goals at any moment and have done it before.” - Arsene Wenger

Tommorow is Super Sunday, with the Big Four meeting each other as Manchester United takes on Liverpool at Anfield and Arsenal meets Chelsea at the Emirates. Obviously, with the top four teams within 6 points of each other, Sunday will be simply massive.

And our position is suspect. If the injury reports are true, Fabregas, Hleb and Flamini could be injured, with RVP returning for his first full match from injury. However, if the injured trio recover in time for Sunday, we could win emphatically.

As an eternal optimist, I think we may see the first eleven:

—————–Almunia——————
–Sagna—Touré—Gallas—Clichy
Hleb—-Fabregas–Flamini–Rosicky
————-RvP—-Adebayor———–

Unfortunately, Wenger seems more and more inclined to a 4-5-1, which honestly seems to do little to stabilize us defensively and results in zero service to Adebayor. But, if RvP starts with Adebayor, I can see us playing a blinder of a game.

Chelsea will miss Essien and Drogba, two very important players, to injury. I feel like if we play with hesitance (i.e. with a 4-5-1 formation), we could lose the game. But if we decide to play fluidly, in that famous Arsenal style, and we have Hlebinho, Flamster and Fab back, I can see a win.

Of course, if the injuries are true, we could have a very different prospect. Without the midfield dominance that the trio brings, we would have huge problems trying to service the forwards, leading to results like Middlesbrough. The key to this game is our psyche, and I think this will be more important then the points potentially won or lost. If we approach the game as champions and play our passing game, not only could we win, but we could send a message. Our draws against Liverpool and Manchester United, while not bad, were hardly emphatic. This is a glorious chance to assert ourselves upon the Premiership, and I can only hope we grab it with both hands.

Tomas Rosicky seems to have the right attitude. He has seemed lost lately without his other two creative midfielders, and perhaps with their return he can put on a show. We could be surprisingly dominant as we play Mourinho-less Chelsea for the first time. The “beatiful” soccer Avram Grant promised hasn’t happened, and without Drogba, Shevchenko will start. He has been impotent, and unless Fat Frank manages to freakishly deflect another shot into the goal, I can’t see where the Chelsea goals will come from. Matt Le Tissier agrees, and says he sees an Arsenal win. Good news…

Ohh…and a very nice article about Clichy and a certain money-hungry Chelsea left back who is playing at the Emirates for the first time. An additional subplot to the match, I think Ashley Cole will have an unpleasant game. In fact, if you would like to lose a little money, you can bet on the first Arsenal player to foul Ashley Cole (I’m thinking Sagna at 10-1) or if he scores and takes off his shirt to reveal an Arsenal badge (500-1).

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