Three key battles as Chelsea prepare to take on Arsenal

With simply a few months left within the 2025/26 season, it’s shaping as much as be an exciting finish to the Premier League marketing campaign. Arsenal discover themselves on monitor to win their first Premier League title in 22 years, sitting 5 factors above Manchester Metropolis, 10 above Aston Villa, and 16 above Chelsea (all of whom have a recreation in hand on them). While Arsenal are gunning for the championship, Chelsea discover themselves in a heated battle for the ultimate UEFA Champions League spot.

Liam Rosenior’s facet sit fourth within the desk, degree on factors with Manchester United (who’ve a recreation in hand on them) and Liverpool, and after drawing back-to-back league matches to promoted sides Leeds and Burnley, they’ll be trying to get again to profitable methods as they journey to Arsenal on Sunday. At this time, we’re looking at three particular person battles that would outline the upcoming London derby.

1. Viktor Gyökeres vs. Trevoh Chalobah

Whereas Chelsea can have had eight days to arrange for this match, Arsenal can have had seven. The Blues discovered themselves cruising to victory towards Burnley till Wesley Fofana bought himself despatched off within the 72nd minute, and 20 minutes later, Zian Flemming slotted house the equalizer. Rosenior will now need to configure a makeshift backline as he seeks to nullify an Arsenal facet that has scored 2+ objectives in 4 of their final 5. With Marc Cucurella recovering from a hamstring challenge, Malo Gusto ought to slot into left again forward of Jorrel Hato, while Reece James will begin on the fitting. And simply forward of Robert Sánchez in aim, Trevoh Chalobah ought to begin within the center alongside both Tosin Adarabioyo, Mamadou Sarr, and Josh Acheampong.

Merely 13 months after coming back from his mortgage spell at Crystal Palace, Chalobah has confirmed important within the coronary heart of protection, serving to the Blues win the UEFA Convention League and FIFA World Cup underneath Enzo Maresca. And with Levi Colwill lacking your complete 2025/26 marketing campaign with an ACL harm, Chalobah has continued his upward momentum and emerged as one of many few constant highlights within the backline. Able to holding his personal in bodily duels and placing out fires with a scrappy model of defending, Chalobah will show essential as he appears to be like to mitigate Viktor Gyökeres’ risk. After ending as high scorer in Portugal in two straight seasons, Gyökeres has struggled to adapt to life within the Premier Leaguehowever it appears he’s beginning to discover his footing with 4 objectives in his final 4 league matches. And after grabbing a aim and an help in his final assembly with Chelsea, he’ll be trying to proceed his spectacular type on Sunday.

2. Andrey Santos vs. God bless you

If it ain’t broke, don’t repair it: after demolishing North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 on the street, there’s little motive to consider that Mikel Arteta will change his line-up, particularly with a full week to arrange. David Raya will begin in between the sticks, Gabriel Magalhães will associate William Saliba in the course of protection, while Jurriën Timber and Piero Hincapié are anticipated to proceed on the fullback positions. Declan Rice and Martín Zubimendi will man the double pivot, Bukayo Saka will begin on the fitting facet of assault, Gyökeres will lead the road, while Eberechi Eze will seemingly get the beginning within the attacking midfield position forward of captain Martin Ødegaard. The one incognito is on the left winger place, with Leandro Trossard prone to beat out Gabriel Martinelli.

However, Rosenior will seemingly proceed the midfield trio that has outlined the opening weeks of his tenure, with Enzo Fernández, Andrey Santos and Moisés Caicedo occupying the midfield. After diligently plying his commerce on mortgage at Vasco da Gama, Nottingham Forest, and Strasbourg, Andrey has exploded onto the season this season for Chelsea and asserted himself as a significant presence within the center. Having established himself as one in all Ligue 1’s finest midfielders underneath Rosenior, Andrey is now staking out a beginning spot in West London due to his willingness to oscillate across the pitch and provide himself as a passing possibility. Not solely is he enabling Chelsea to play out of stress together with his fast and seamless passes out of the field, he’s additionally enabling Caicedo and Fernández the liberty to push ahead. Able to placing in a pointy sort out and anticipating a counter-attack, Andrey has helped so as to add some solidity in midfield, and he’ll be trying to proceed his uptick in type vs. Arsenal and maintain Eze in examine. Equally to Gyökeres, Eze has encountered a tricky begin since leaving Crystal Palace for Arsenal, however with a brace of objectives and a brace of assists in his final two begins, he may very properly be set for a giant efficiency towards Chelsea.

3. João Pedro vs. Gabriel Magalhães

Shifting onto the ultimate third of the pitch, it’s anticipated that Cole Palmer will occupy the fitting facet of an attacking trio, having supplied 4 objectives and 1 help in his final 3 appearances. On the left, Rosenior has his arms full as he appears to be like to decide on between Pedro Neto, who has bagged 4 aim contributions, Garnacho, who bagged a brace when these two sides met up final month, or a distinct participant totally, like Estêvão or Liam Delap. Nevertheless, one factor’s for positive: João Pedro can be beginning up high for Chelsea.

After seamlessly transitioning into Chelsea’s beginning striker within the FIFA Membership World Cup, João Pedro has been entrusted with the mission of being the Blues’ first-choice #9. He’s been capable of shoulder the burden and ship 14 objectives and eight assists in 36 appearances to date, discovering the again of the online in every of his final two appearances vs. Leeds and Burnley. At 24 years of age, the Brazilian striker is staking his standing as a participant for each the current and the longer term for Chelsea, and he’ll be trying to lead his workforce to victory on the weekend. But when he’s to take action, he’ll have to get previous arguably the best central defensive duo in world soccer. Chelsea haven’t overwhelmed Arsenal since August 2021, while they’ve misplaced in every of their final 4 journeys to the Emirates Stadium, and Gabriel’s partnership with Saliba has been a large motive behind that. If Chelsea are to spoil the league leaders’ occasion, they’ll want Pedro to be at his absolute best.

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