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With one eye on the weekend’s FA Cup final, Chelsea take on Arsenal in the Premier League on Wednesday. The Blues are yet to secure their place in the Champions League for the subsequent season. As such, the match is of extreme importance to them. Meanwhile, the Gunners are looking to miraculously make the Europa League.
Chelsea and Arsenal can count themselves among the European elite. Their decision to form a breakaway league with like-minded clubs certainly revealed that they, at least, saw themselves in that light. However, while the Blues often act with the urgency which defines top clubs, the Gunners are almost lackadaisical in their approach.
This season provided the perfect example of that theory in action. Chelsea sacked Frank Lampard when the standards fell below the minimum requirements of the club.
Arsenal continued to persist with Mikel Arteta despite some clear problems and have paid for it. While either side’s decisions will be reflected better in the long run, there seems to be a clear winner at present.
Arteta has been given another chance to prove himself worthy of leading Arsenal, despite his team crashing out of the Europa League last week. The Gunners’ responded positively to their exit by beating West Bromwich Albion on the weekend. However, a tougher test awaits on the horizon as a trip to Stamford Bridge looms.
Thomas Tuchel’s arrival at Chelsea – a decision taken in the wake of Lampard’s sacking – has completely transformed the fortunes of the club. While they were languishing in ninth at one point, Chelsea are now third and favorites to qualify for the Champions League. They are also through to the FA Cup final and the Champions League final, with the former being played on the subsequent weekend.
Tuchel’s team selection will undoubtedly be affected by the upcoming FA Cup final against Leicester City. The Blues have a three-day turnover before they play at Wembley – a situation that will surely force him to make substantial changes midweek. However, even if the German picks his second-string side, Chelsea have enough quality to beat their opponents – which they showed by beating Manchester City on Saturday.
Key Players
With two important matches in the space of three days, Thomas Tuchel will have to rotate his squad. This means Hakim Ziyech might get another start in the league in place of Mason Mount, who Tuchel will surely want to save for the cup final. Nonetheless, Ziyech is a wonderful player in his own right, and despite a difficult season, has had some big moments. He scored the winner in the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City and netted the leveler against the Citizens in Chelsea’s last league match.
Much has been made of Timo Werner’s first season at Chelsea after his big-money move from RB Leipzig in the summer. Though the German has fallen slightly short of expectations, he still has had a positive impact on the team. Furthermore, his numbers are good despite all of his troubles. Werner has reached double figures for both goals and assists across all competitions for the Blues in his debut campaign in England.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is one of the most lethal strikers on the continent, which made Arteta’s decision to stick him on the wing all the more curious. Despite a troubling season for both the club and the player, the striker has registered strong numbers. The Gabonese forward has scored 15 goals across all competitions and has also provided three assists in 36 appearances.
Bukayo Saka has been the saving grace during Arsenal’s horrific season. With the youngster tied down for the long term, the Gunners’ future looks slightly brighter. The Englishman can play almost everywhere on the pitch – from attacking midfielder to left-back. He is expected to start either as the left-back or the left wingback, given the injuries in the Arsenal side currently.
Prediction
Given the talent Chelsea purchased before the start of the season, it is no surprise to see them in such a strong position. The Blues are on course of finishing the season in third place while also winning a domestic and a continental cup. However, in early January, it was unfathomable to imagine the London side finish their season on such a positive note. Thomas Tuchel’s arrival was the catalyst for their season, which sparked them into life and propelled them upwards.
Shortly before Tuchel arrived, Chelsea were beaten 3-0 by Arsenal. That was a milestone win for Mikel Arteta and the Gunners, who had been on a horrific run before that match. The Spaniard survived his team’s initial run of poor form, although, in retrospect, that hasn’t counted for much.
Arsenal will be the underdogs going into their match against Chelsea. The Blues, for all their recent effort, can rightfully claim the tag of favorites. The odds are on them for getting a positive result from this match.
