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Arsenal Vs Chelsea PREVIEW
Arsenal
will look to continue their momentum by getting the better of Chelsea
in Saturday's English Premier League game(Photo : Reuters ) "
No Didier Drogba. No Robin Van Persie. Arsenal's English Premier League game against Chelsea at the Emirates is going to look a little different when it comes to personnel, but the passion and fervour will be exactly the same as the big London Derby kicks off this weekend's festivities.
Four points separate the two teams in this early phase of the season, and while titles are not exactly won in September, the stature and capabilities of either sides to compete for the Premier League crown and possibly break the Manchester duopoly will be underlined after Saturday's result.
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Arsenal have always played pretty one-touch soccer, but they have
also usually failed to back that up with results. For instance, the
Arsenal of a couple of years ago, or even last year, would probably
have folded up after going down a goal at Manchester City despite
bossing the game.This team, however, has that character and togetherness which has marked them from the rest of the 'post-invincibles' teams.
Chelsea were supposed to be one of the most eye-catching teams this season, after shelling out for the creative talents of Eden Hazard, Oscar and Marko Marin. However, that style hasn't quite caught on yet, although there were signs of it in the League Cup romp against Wolverhampton.
But again, that was against a Championship side at home. Chelsea have looked vulnerable against the big teams. They were thumped 4-1 by Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup and threw away a 2-0 lead against Juventus in the Champions League. The game against Arsenal will be Roberto Di Matteo's biggest test yet in this year's Premier League.
Wenger admitted his relief at the absence of Drogba, the striker who has dominated the Gunners for the past eight years. Fernando Torres will give the Arsenal defense, which has been impressive so far this season, a different problem, and even if the Spaniard does not look at the peak of his powers, his threat cannot be ruled out.
Arsenal will have Thomas Vermaelen back in the squad after missing last week's game at City due to flu, and the Frenchman will have the problem of aplenty in choosing two out of Vermaelen, Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker. The Frenchman will also have to decide on his attacking line-up with the likes of Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Olivier Giroud all getting on the scoresheet against Coventry City in Wednesday's League Cup game.
It is a challenge that the experienced manager is relishing. "I have selection solutions, it is not a problem to have good players," Wenger said in his pre-match press conference. "When you don't have good players people say 'but you do not have good players'. When you have good players they say you have a problem as well.
"You cannot play a season with two center-backs, you just want good players in every position.
"At the moment they are all doing well, I just will select the players who are most suited to play against our opponent. At the end of the season everybody will have played.
"It doesn't exist anymore a position where one player can play all the games. The games are too intense, too repeated, and if you look well at the players who play in every single game, look how they are at 30, 31, it tells you a lot about that."
Di Matteo will have the option of selecting John Terry, despite the captain being handed a four-match ban by the FA; the ban will only come into effect once the written document is handed to the defender and the 31-year-old decides on whether to appeal the verdict.
Knowing Terry and his desire to play in every game, particularly a London Derby at Arsenal, the chances of him missing out are pretty slim, meaning the Italian manager will have to choose between David Luiz and Gary Cahill to partner the club captain.
The return of Marko Marin from injury will be welcomed with Victor Moses also hitting his straps quickly. Both Frank Lampard and Daniel Sturridge are also expected to be fit for the game, as Di Matteo, just like Wenger, is spoilt for choice in the attacking department.
A London Derby is as much a battle of wills as skills; the newfound Arsenal discipline and attitude will be put to the test against the European champions, and the team that will come out with a victory will be the team that everybody will be looking at and thinking "they are definitely going to challenging for the title".
Expected line-ups: Arsenal: Mannone, Gibbs, Vermaelen, Mertesacker, Jenkinson, Arteta, Diaby, Cazorla, Podolski, Giroud, Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Chelsea: Cech, Cole, Terry, Luiz, Ivanovic, Mikel, Lampard, Bertrand, Mata, Hazard, Torres.
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