Arsenal not looking to make a statement at Chelsea, just take the three points

Mikel Arteta dismissed the notion of claiming a “assertion win” at Chelsea on Sunday and identified his Arsenal gamers are used to high-stakes matches.

The Gunners go to Stamford Bridge in a conflict between the groups that occupy the highest two locations within the Premier League heading into the weekend.

Arsenal have had a unbelievable week, beating North London derby rivals Spurs 4-1 final Sunday earlier than an much more spectacular 3-1 defeat of Bayern Munich in midweek.

The following check takes them to West London however Arteta doesn’t imagine beating Enzo Maresca’s facet would ship a message to the remainder of the groups round them.

“These are statements that we’re speaking about each three days,” he stated. “After beating Spurs at house, then we have now to make a press release in opposition to Bayern Munich, we’ve finished that and now we have now to go to the subsequent one. That’s the place we’re, we knew the significance of the week, not solely that, however what’s coming after three days goes to be precisely the identical, nothing goes to vary.

“We simply dwell within the current and make the very best preparation to attempt to be higher than them and win the sport.

“It’s an enormous sport, it’s an enormous London derby. We’re going to play a very good opponent in good type. We all know the problem, we all know the chance we have now as nicely. We’re going to be prepared for it.”

Arteta enjoys watching Chelsea

Arteta says Chelsea, who beat Barcelona 3-0 on Tuesday, are certainly one of his favorite groups to look at and thinks they’re very a lot within the title race.

He added: “I believe we’re all there and they’re there as a result of they absolutely need to be. What they’ve finished in the previous few years, I believe the squad they’ve assembled, the numbers that they’ve, the quantity of high quality, the supervisor and the teaching employees that they’ve, it is smart that what is going on there may be very, very constructive they usually need to be there.

“They’re one of many groups that I get pleasure from probably the most watching, they’ve plenty of fluidity, they’ve plenty of energy, they’ve plenty of particular person expertise, they’re very clear what they wish to do, and that’s why they’re fairly powerful.”

Gyokeres and Havertz may return

Arsenal have been working with no recognised centre-forward since earlier than the worldwide break with Spain midfielder Mikel Merino shifting ahead to play the position.

Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus are all edging in direction of full health though Arteta wouldn’t verify whether or not they are going to be out there for Sunday.

Requested if big-money summer time signing Gyokeres would come straight again in when match, Arteta stated: “Nicely, the great factor is that now we have now discovered another choice. We’ve three completely different choices. That’s a very good studying for all of us, particularly for me, to know that with different gamers, with different connections, with different methods of doing issues, we are able to nonetheless be very, very environment friendly.

“We misplaced a participant, two or three, we misplaced, in some unspecified time in the future, six gamers within the entrance line, and the crew continued to win and be very, very environment friendly. So I believe that’s very constructive and now what we have now to show is, okay, as soon as we have now all people again, we’re going to nonetheless be nearly as good, or hopefully higher.”

The in-form Leandro Trossard is more likely to be match after taking a knock in opposition to Bayern and can begin on the left of a entrance three. Gabriel stays sidelined so both Cristhian Mosquera or Piero Hincapie will begin alongside William Saliba on the coronary heart of the defence.