Date: Saturday 26th
December 2020
Venue: Emirates Stadium
Kick-off: 17:30 GMT
This year’s Boxing Day game sees us at the Emirates to take on an out of
sorts Arsenal.
I won’t be expecting any late Christmas gifts though, because it’s
nailed on we will face a very different performance from them than the one’s
they’ve served up for the last couple of months.
The Gunners have been well and truly firing blanks since beating
Manchester United early November, losing five of their last seven games in the
Premier League and far from digging deep, their experienced players have all
but bailed out – not that we should be surprised by a couple of them. They can get results against ‘top’ six sides though and they can be hard
to break down – both facts that could be a bother for us. We struggle against
that sort of set up and we’ll be missing key players again today.
It was hard
work for us against West Ham last time out and this London derby won’t be any
easier, so our players shouldn’t kid themselves Arsenal’s form is anything to
go by.
MANAGER’S VIEWS
Going into today’s game, Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, says “The next seven to eight days are going to be crucial
to see where we’re going to be heading to in the Premier League. At the
moment, to keep the team together and alive, to be a team rather than a group
of players, takes a lot of energy. You have to get them to be positive to each
other, to not start blaming any external factors or any individuals when things
are not going well. The best thing to do when you are like that is to have the
possibility to do things outside our site. Get them together, change the
environment, but at the moment we can’t do that.
The players are really putting in a lot
of energy and enthusiasm not to lose what we are building. But it takes a lot
of energy because when you are losing games, every game is a lot of weight on
your shoulders. People are suffering, we
are hurting and you have to get back, be the leader again and try to push the
players. The players respond and are excited again for the game. That’s
happening but the best medicine is to win against Chelsea.”
Chelsea manager
Frank Lampard meanwhile, says “I don’t want to talk about what their battle
is, they’re just a good team with a good manager. They’ve had some tough
results recently but the general way of the Premier League this season for
every team it’s been more inconsistent than it’s been in probably previous
seasons for most teams. It’s not my concern exactly where they are at, my
concern is the team at face value, in terms of quality, and they are a high-quality
team.”
SQUAD NEWS
For Arsenal, Pierre-Emerick
Aubameyang (calf) and Gabriel Martinelli (shin) will be monitored but Granit
Xhaka returns after a three-match ban.
For Chelsea, Hakim
Ziyech (hamstring) remains out, whilst Ben Chilwell and Reece James (knee) are
doubtful.
TEAMS
ARSENAL (Possible line-up): Leno; Gabriel, Luiz, Tierney; Bellerin, Xhaka, Ceballos, Maitland-Niles;
Pepe, Lacazette, Saka.
CHELSEA (Possible line-up): Mendy; Azpilicueta, Zouma, Silva, Emerson; Kovacic, Kante, Mount; Pulisic,
Giroud, Werner
LAST SEASON
Arsenal 1-2 Chelsea (29th
December 2019)
CURRENT FORM (PL)
ARSENAL: DLLLDL
CHELSEA: WDWLLW
OTHER STUFF
- Arsenal lost the corresponding fixture last season 2-1.
- Arsenal haven’t lost back-to-back home league games
against Chelsea since November 2009.
- Arsenal came from behind to beat us 2-1 in the FA
Cup final in August.
- Chelsea have lost just two of the past 17 Premier
League meetings, both at the Emirates.
- Two of Arsenal’s four league victories this season
have come in London derbies.
- Arsenal have won nine successive home games on
Boxing Day, and are unbeaten in 12 (W10, D2).
- Chelsea could lose three consecutive Premier League
away games for the first time since February 2019.
- Chelsea have scored eight goals from corners in the
Premier League this season, more than than any other team.
- Arsenal have only conceded from 2 set pieces – both
corners.
PREDICTION
Sky Sports: Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea
90mins: Arsenal 0-2 Chelsea
Sportsmole: Arsenal 1-2 Chelsea
