Arsenal FC vs Chelsea FC: Thoughts And Prediction
By Lou Flavius
Arsenal FC will host Chelsea FC in a London derby which could have a huge shout in the title race — or not. The Blues will be three points away from title glory if they beat Arsene Wenger’s men at the Emirates, but even if they don’t, it would take a series of blunders to keep them from crossing the line first.
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The Gunners still stand a mathematical chance, and would do themselves no harm with a win. They are the Premier League’s in-form team at the moment, and are now also in the FA Cup Final for the second year running.
In 12 matches, Wenger can’t boast ever beating Jose Mourinho, but for some odd reason, many are of the opinion that Sunday will be the Frenchman’s day.
How comes Jose always, always beats Wenger? @martinkeown5 gives us the lowdown #tacklekeown http://t.co/HW9CGdLrrd pic.twitter.com/64emNdJn5Z
— Mail Sport (@MailSport) April 23, 2015
Being at home will give Arsenal a bit of an advantage; throw in their fine form, and Chelsea could have a real match on their hands. Strangely enough, Wenger can name less injured players than Mourinho, probably for the first time ever.
Only Per Mertesacker stands a chance of missing the clash, but all Chelsea’s strikers are injured. Diego Costa again fell victim to a troublesome hamstring; Loic Remy — who was jumping at the chance to get a good run of games — suffered a calf injury before the QPR match and has not been able to suit up.
To make matters worse, Didier Drogba recently pulled out of a charity match due to an ailing ankle. The good news though — they may all be healthy enough to play by Sunday, although it’s highly doubtful.
Chelsea should be in high spirits after their defeat of Manchester United last weekend. They aren’t playing the same way they started the season, but they are grinding out results, getting closer to being crowned champions with every passing game.
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Eden Hazard — who has been the league’s best player this season — is on fire. Lately, he is either scoring or creating goals during every appearance. It was his goal which sealed the victory on Saturday, and the rest of the team will be counting on him to lead them through Costa’s absence.
Victory at Arsenal could make it quite the weekend for the young Belgian, as the PFA Awards are also set to take place on Sunday. He has been nominated for both the Player of The Year and the Young Player of The Year Awards, and could easily take both home.
Prediction
Both sets of players know what lies behind a victory. For Arsenal, the chance to increase their slim title hopes and slow the Blues down. A win for Chelsea would put them out of sight, allowing them to cruise till the end.
But Mourinho knows that a draw would also be a great result. The Blues are now 10 points ahead of Arsenal, and sharing the points would leave the distance the same, with five games to play.
The Portuguese manager will more than likely set his team up the same way he did against United. The mentality will be ‘Do not lose, but win if you can’.
Final Score: Arsenal FC – 0, Chelsea FC – 1