Arsenal and Chelsea renew hostilities for a Premier League London Derby at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night, May 2.
The matchup was initially supposed to take place on Saturday evening but was postponed to a midweek kickoff after revision from the Metropolitan Police.
Match Preview
Arsenal did little to suggest that they can last the course after they faced the biggest test of their title credentials against Man City.
Kevin De Bruyne’s brace, John Stones’s header and Erling Braut Haaland’s record-breaking 33rd Premier League goal of the season ensured the reigning champions took home all three points.
The visiting fans managed to celebrate a consolation goal after Rob Holding got one back for the visitors who were already down.
Despite the loss and subsequently losing the first place, Arsenal are still going to play in the Champions League next season.
Before Arsenal played Man City at the Etihad on Wednesday, they had already lost 5 points in their encounters with Liverpool and West Ham.
In those matches, they had a 2-0 lead in the match but somehow could not maintain it up until the final whistle and the matches ended in a draw.
Their loss on Wednesday marked the seventh game in a row in which Arsenal have both scored and conceded.
Arsenal have conceded an alarming 11 goals in their last four games – but only Newcastle United have prevented Arteta’s men from scoring at the Emirates this season.
Todd Boehly’s peculiar decision to bring Frank Lampard back to Stamford Bridge has not yielded anything positive after five matches.
While Chelsea fans are excited at the imminent appointment of Mauricio Pochettino, Lampard is trying not to make the Blues break an unwanted record.
Should Chelsea lose to Arsenal on Tuesday, it will mark Chelsea’s 20th loss in a season – they last suffered as many beatings in 1987-88.
The Blues are winless in eight straight matches since Graham Potter masterminded a 3-1 triumph over Leicester City in March, Chelsea have just one goal to their name since Lampard’s homecoming.
The last time both teams met was earlier this year and a Gabriel Magalhaes’ goal ensured the Gunners took all three points at Stamford Bridge.
Arsenal V Chelsea Team News
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta confirmed ahead of the defeat by Manchester City that William Saliba will not return from a back injury against Chelsea.
Mohamed Elneny and Takehiro Tomiyasu are still out with knee problems.
Chelsea’s Kai Havertz could be available for Tuesday’s match-up despite nursing a knee injury.
Marc Cucurella, Reece James, Mason Mount and Armando Broja will not feature in the match while Kalidou Koulibaly – who has a hamstring will be checked.
Probable Lineup
Arsenal’s probable starting lineup:
Ramsdale; White, Holding, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Xhaka, Partey; Saka, Odegaard, Trossard; Jesus
Chelsea’s probable starting lineup:
Kepa; Chalobah, Silva, Fofana, Chilwell; Fernandez, Kante, Gallagher; Felix, Havertz, Sterling.
Arsenal V Chelsea Prediction
Chelsea are really struggling especally in scoring this season but Arsenal and clean sheets are not exactly friends now at the Emirates, and this still has the potential to be a banana skin of a match for the Gunners against a Blues side determined to deal further damage to their adversaries’ hopes of glory.
The hosts’ defensive nous and build-up play is evidently worse without Saliba in the team, but the visit of a lack of form Chelsea side is a prime opportunity for a return to winning ways for the Gunners, who may have to survive a couple of scares en route to victory and return to the summit, for 24 hours at least.
Here at Futballnews, we are going with the match ended in a 2-2 draw.
