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Arsenal will welcome Chelsea to the Emirates in Boxing Day’s important Premier League match on Saturday night.
The busy holiday period in England is well underway and the Premier League moves into the 15th game week of the 2020/21 season with the famous Boxing Day matchups. This week’s big game will be played between Arsenal and Chelsea at the Emirates, with both teams desperate for three points.
For Arsenal, 2020/21 has been a nightmare. A season that promised long after the triumphant FA Cup campaign and a decent summer window has turned pear-shaped, and the Gunners lack ideas and imagination in their game. Winless in their last seven Premier League matches, Mikel Arteta & co. now they are ridiculously outside the relegation zone.
Chelsea, on the other hand, have largely delivered on the promise that was cultivated by an impressive summer transfer window for them. However, back-to-back losses to Everton and Wolves set them back a bit before the Blues responded with a 3-0 win over West Ham United this week. Now in fifth place, building momentum will be key for Frank Lampard and his companions through this busy period.
Last season’s corresponding match ended in a 2-1 win for Chelsea, thanks to late goals from Jorginho and Tammy Abraham after Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had given the hosts an early lead. . Before the last encounter between the two sides, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter.
Team news and tactics
Arsenal
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is doubtful for Saturday’s clash against Chelsea. (Photo by Alex Pantling / Getty Images)
Mikel Arteta has received a mixed bag of updates on the team’s news front ahead of Chelsea’s visit. On Saturday, the Arsenal manager could be deprived of the services of up to three first-team players.
Thomas Partey is a certainty to be missed as he continues to recover from a thigh injury. Meanwhile, Arteta is sweating over the fitness of Gabriel Martinelli and captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, neither of whom are expected to be in the starting lineup against Chelsea. However, in some good news, Arsenal are set to receive the return of Granit Xhaka.
The former Arsenal captain is available after serving a three-game suspension following his dismissal against Burnley. In fact, Xhaka should be reinstated in the lineup immediately, despite his smug act when he saw red. Dani Ceballos could sit next to him in the middle of the park in hopes of propelling Arsenal forward efficiently.
In attack, the possible absence of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang means that Eddie Nketiah should lead the Arsenal line against Chelsea. Nicolas Pepe is also a certainty and the Ivorian will be deployed on the right flank. As for the left, Bukayo Saka could be put in an advanced position, and former Chelsea winger Willian is unlikely to get the nod due to his recent troubles.
Saka’s move on the field means Kieran Tierney will be the left back, with Hector Beller in an automatic pick on the right flank. In the back, with Gabriel Magalha is available again for a Premier League game, Rob Holding’s three-man central defensive unit David Luiz and Gabriel pick themselves, while Bernd Leno is the obvious choice in the goal.
Probable lineup (3-4-3): Log; Holding, Luiz, Gabriel; Bellerin, Ceballos, Xhaka, Tierney; Pepe, Nketiah, Saka
Chelsea
Like his counterpart on the Arsenal bench, Frank Lampard has a new concern over an injury that hampers his preparations ahead of the short journey through London on Saturday. On Saturday, the Chelsea manager may have to cope without three first-team players.
Hakim Ziyech is sure to miss out on Arsenal as he has not recovered from his hamstring problem. In addition to the Moroccan playmaker, Chelsea could also miss out on Reece James and Ben Chilwell, who are big doubts for Saturday’s game.
Chilwell suffered a sprained ankle against West Ham United and could be given enough time to fully recover from the injury. Instead, Emerson Palmieri is expected to get the nod at the left-back position, with captain César Azpilicueta in place on the right flank. At the heart of Chelsea’s defense, you can’t look past Kurt Zouma and Thiago Silva.
Later in the midfield, Jorginho is likely to fall to the bench, and Mateo Kovacic is expected to be the favorite in one of three spaces in the middle of the park. N’Golo Kante and Mason Mount are likely to fill the other two spots, and the duo will be a constant player for Chelsea this term.
Later in attack, amid the continued absence of Ziyech, Timo Werner and Christian Pulisic are chosen to be the two men on the wing. Tammy Abraham, however, should be leading Chelsea’s attack once again, following a strong display against West Ham, meaning Olivier Giroud is lost to former club Arsenal.
Probable lineup (4-3-3): Mendy; Azpilicueta, Zouma, Silva, Emerson; Kovacic, Kante, Mount; Werner, Abraham, Pulisic
Betting Odds
Favorable advice
- Both Teams To Score – NO @ 2.00
Hot
- Full-time result – Draw @ 3.50
Key stats
- Chelsea have lost only two of their last 17 Premier League meetings with Arsenal (9 wins, 6 draws), with both losses coming at the Emirates (0-3 in September 2016, 0-2 in January 2019 ).
- Arsenal lost this exact match 1-2 last season, despite being 1-0 ahead until the 83rd minute. In fact, the team that scored first did not win any of the three meetings in all competitions between Arsenal and Chelsea. last season (D1 L2), and Arsenal came back to win the FA Cup final in their most recent match.
- Arsenal have not lost any of their last 12 Boxing Day home games (W10 D2) since a 0-2 loss to Nottingham Forest in 1987. The Gunners have won each of their last nine such matches in the Premier League. , including a 2-1 victory over Chelsea in 2001.
- Chelsea lost 0-2 to Southampton on Boxing Day last season, ending a 14-game winless streak on December 26 (W9 D5). The Blues have not lost consecutive Boxing Day games since 1995.
- Timo Werner is Chelsea’s top scorer this season with eight goals in all competitions, but has not scored in his last nine games.
Player to watch
Timo Werner
Crunch accessory for Werner. (Photo by Lars Baron / Bongarts / Getty Images)
It’s been a strange season so far for Timo Werner. The German international is Chelsea’s top scorer this season, with eight goals scored in all competitions. However, Werner is currently on a nine-game streak without finding the back of the net.
For the most part this season, Werner has had a frustrating tendency to drift into an offside position. However, lately, he’s not even getting into dangerous scoring areas. Having said that, Werner is ready to continue his career on the wing, with Hakim Ziyech still not fit enough to appear.
So it’s imperative that Werner find a way to stop his fall, otherwise he might find his way out of the side. A London derby against Arsenal gives the 24-year-old the perfect opportunity to make his mark in the Premier League. Will Werner join Chelsea?
Prediction
Arsenal 0-2 Chelsea
Arsenal simply cannot do anything right at the moment. The Gunners have been horrendous in the Premier League, to say the least, but they are also being punished for individual errors, as was the case against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup this week. Chelsea should therefore think about their chances of achieving a great victory over their local rivals.
The Blues haven’t been at their best in the past two weeks, but taking on an Arsenal team that has long been flattered to cheat could pave the way for an efficient display from the visitors. Wait Mikel Arteta & co. to frustrate Arsenal fans again, with Chelsea slowly growing in the game before taking a 2-0 win on Saturday.
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