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Chelsea: Cesc Fabregas must start against Arsenal… but only on one condition

By Craig Pearson

LEICESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 20: Cesc Fabregas of Chelsea reacts during the EFL Cup Third Round match between Leicester City and Chelsea at The King Power Stadium on September 20, 2016 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Chelsea Football Club/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
LEICESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 20: Cesc Fabregas of Chelsea reacts during the EFL Cup Third Round match between Leicester City and Chelsea at The King Power Stadium on September 20, 2016 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Chelsea Football Club/Chelsea FC via Getty Images) /
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Chelsea play Arsenal on Saturday in a huge game in the Premier League, with Cesc Fabregas knocking on the door for a place in the Blues starting lineup.

Chelsea play Arsenal on Saturday in the Premier League. Cesc Fabregas is hoping for a spot in the Chelsea starting lineup for the return to his former club. Fabregas has been frozen out of the starting XI but has impressed in cameos, and then against Leicester City in the EFL Cup on Tuesday.

Antonio Conte’s men have gone two games without a win in the Premier League, with a draw and a loss in their previous two fixtures. Meanwhile Arsenal are unbeaten since an opening day 4-3 defeat to Liverpool.

The Gunners are in good form and it is Chelsea who have the bigger issues heading into the game. The primary one being that Conte does not know is best starting XI yet. The Italian keeps playing pretty much the same XI each week, but it is yet to convince that it is the right formula.

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Fabregas is the player causing most debate among observers. The playmaker has only started games in the EFL Cup this season, but did impress against Leicester. In fact, so much so that some Chelsea fans are now demanding the Spaniard starts against the Gunners.

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Fabregas scored two crucial goals in the game and his name will now surely be under serious consideration by Conte. If Fabregas is to come into the team, however, then it is Oscar who he must replace.

Conte has so far utilized a 4-1-4-1 formation with Oscar playing next to Nemanja Matic, and then N’Golo Kante sitting deep. It’s quite a negative setup but that setup might actually be exactly what is needed at the Emirates.

Arsenal are likely to control possession and Chelsea will need Matic and Kante in the team to try and sure up the center of the park. Which leaves only Oscar for Fabregas to replace. Oscar works harder than Fabregas does, but doesn’t nearly have the end product of his teammate.

Conte obviously prefers the work rate to the creativity, but the Chelsea midfield already has enough work rate. Moving forward, Fabregas needs to be manoeuvred into the starting lineup full time. However, the game against Arsenal might be a different case.

It’s not a necessity that Fabregas comes in for this game. Arsenal will potentially field the likes of Santi Cazorla, Mesut Ozil and Granit Xhaka in central areas. Conte might need to close off the midfield rather than open it up.

Oscar hasn’t really been tearing any trees up anyway, so he couldn’t complain if he made way for Fabregas. But he is better off the ball than Fabregas is. And despite Matic performing even worse than Oscar has, again, his qualities might be needed more than Fabregas’ in this game.

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Afterwards, Conte can tweak things and get experimental with formations and the personnel in his lineup all he wants. But for this game, Fabregas is not essential. And if he does earn his first Premier League start of the season, then it must be in place of Oscar.

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