Arsenal host Chelsea tomorrow as the bumper EPL action will hope to see a befitting end to a potentially thrilling day of action which will see Manchester United kick off against Leicester City in the early kick-off of the day.
Arsene Wenger will meet his 12th Chelsea counterpart as he gears up to face Antonio Conte-led Chelsea who have had a topsy-turvy last week, losing 1-2 to Liverpool before dispatching Leicester City 4-2 after extra time in the 3rd round of the EFL Cup. Chelsea have an envious record against the Gunners as they boast of admirable statistics on several counts.
FACTS
- The Gunners are winless in their last nine Premier League meetings with Chelsea since a 5-3 win at Stamford Bridge in October 2011
- Chelsea haven’t lost any of their last five league visits to the Emirates (W2 D3) since a 1-3 loss in December 2010. They’ve conceded just one goal in that run
- The Blues have won more Premier League games at the Emirates Stadium than any other visiting side (4)
- On the occasion of the 55thmatch of Arsene Wenger against Chelsea, we mash together a joint eleven comprising stars from both the sides.
T4O’s COMBINED ARSENAL AND CHELSEA LINE-UP (4-2-3-1)
DEFENCE
Both the teams are blessed with exceptional goalkeepers but Petr Cech edges ahead due to his experience and for the years at the top for both Chelsea and now Arsenal.
Hector Bellerin is probably the most exciting right-back in the country right now and pushes ahead of Ivanovic on his current form.
John Terry’s unavailability means Gary Cahill slots into our team at RCB position although his current form has been sketchy.
Laurent Koscielny is probably the best player in his position in the league right now, displaying amazing consistency over a season and a half. He is an automatic choice at centre-back.
Nacho Monreal pushed Cesar Azpilicueta but the Chelsea man’s consistent displays in almost every match thus far have titled the balance in his favour.
MIDFIELD
N’Golo Kanté is an automatic choice in front of the back four mopping up attacks and passing the ball to his advanced midfield teammates.
Santi Cazorla probably edges ahead of a number of options due to his creativity from the deep areas. He has settled well into the deep-lying playmaker role and will complement Kante’s industry well.
Although we believe Alexis Sanchez’s best position is on the left wing, his ability to play in the central areas having quite regularly turned out as a striker makes him our No.10.
ATTACK
Eden Hazard can wreak havoc on his day and the best chance of that happening is from the left wing. Sanchez’s versatile nature helps us choose Hazard on the left-hand side.
Mesut Ozil can come in from the right-wing and supply the passes to the other direct attacking teammates and although it is not his usual position in the Arsenal line-up, he is more than capable of playing there.
Our choice for the lone striker spot was a pretty straightforward one with Diego Costa miles ahead of the other candidates. His controversial nature might put off a few but his determination to succeed is infectious.
MANAGER- ARSENE WENGER (!)
