As England basks itself in the joys of the festive period, the FA brings to the country another delicious heavyweight clash for the football fans to enjoy. This time the two teams clashing are Chelsea and Arsenal. The two teams are currently placed third and fifth in the English Premier League table with the Blues separated from the Gunners by a comfortable 7 point gap.
The English Premier League is the most followed league in the world and the reason is as follows. While many have debated that the leagues in Spain and Germany are technically superior, there is little doubt over which is the most exciting of all to watch. The Premier League offers a set of twenty teams currently with six of those sides boasting of players good enough to win them the league. Hence the occasions of big sides clashing against one another are way more frequent than in any other league, something the FA happily cashes in on.
As the two London rivals lock horns in what will be another pulsating derby, both managers will look to start off the New Year on a positive note. Chelsea is coming off a solid win after thrashing Stoke City 5-0 and will look to consolidate on their European spot. Arsenal, on the other hand, is coming off a frustrating 1-1 draw against low-lying West Bromwich Albion and the Gunners will be looking to return to winning ways with a win over their rivals.
Team News
David Luiz who has been missing from action for some time now is likely to stay out of contention for this match as well. Andreas Christensen who is fit again from his illness is likely to return to the starting lineup. Chelsea has no suspension issues to deal with and will be expected to field a strong first team.
As for Arsenal, their big blow is the uncertainty of Mesut Ozil for the match with the German completely omitted from the squad for the match against West Bromwich Albion. In defence, both Sead Kolasinac and Laurent Koscielny are out injured for the big match.
Predicted Line-Up
Chelsea:
Thibaut Courtois, Cesar Azpilicueta, Andreas Christensen, Gary Cahill, Davide Zappacosta, Marcos Alonso, N’Golo Kante, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Cesc Fabregas, Eden Hazard, Alvaro Morata
Arsenal:
Petr Cech, Calum Chambers, Per Mertesacker, Shkodran Mustafi, Hector Bellerin, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Jack Wilshere, Granit Xhaka, Alexis Sanchez, Alexandre Lacazette, Alex Iwobi
Key Men
For Chelsea, it will be once again Eden Hazard who will be expected to cause the damages to the Arsenal goal while Alexis Sanchez will once again be the man to watch out for alongside Jack Wilshere for the Gunners.
Betting Odds
Chelsea Win: 15/8
Draw: 5/2
Arsenal Win: 31/20
