Following their emphatic victory over Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal’s quest to win the Premier League title continues with another London derby as Mikel Arteta’s side host Chelsea on Sunday.
Liam Rosenior will have learnt some lessons from Chelsea’s Carabao Cup semi-final defeat by Arsenal as he looks to steer his team into a Champions League spot.
But what can both sides take from their most recent results and meetings, which players will be key and what does a good result for each club this season look like as we enter March?
Arsenal writer Amy Lawrence and her Chelsea counterpart Cerys Jones give their thoughts.
How important was last week’s result going into this game?
Lawrence: The importance is best summed up by imagining what might have happened with a different result. Ooof. It felt like the weight of Arsenal’s world was at stake. So, a reviving victory, based on an uplifting performance, injected a renewed sense of joy and promise. There is fascination ahead to see if the liberation evident in Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze in particular — two players Arsenal needed to eke more out of — will be long-lasting or remain a flash in Tottenham’s pan.
The strange thing about this period of the season is how Arsenal emotions lurch based on each result. It is doom or delirium, which is extreme enough to feel quite fragile. That said, a rare full week between games gives the players a chance to breathe, take stock, and refocus on what they are driving for during the season’s climax.
Viktor Gyokeres put in a great performance against Spurs (Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images)
Jones: Last week’s draw with Burnley in itself is not that significant — disappointing, yes, but the sort of result that crops up throughout every team’s season. But this was not an isolated incident, and that’s a problem. To have a player sent off (this time Wesley Fofana) and drop points from a winning position harks back to frustrating results earlier in the season which have resulted in Chelsea now scrabbling to finish in the top five. They went into the reverse fixture six points off the top with a game in hand; they headed into this weekend fifth, only ahead of sixth-placed Liverpool on goal difference.
Chelsea were never favourites for this game. The impact of last week’s result is that the focus shifts away from the occasion of a London derby and towards what dropping points again would mean for Champions League qualification. Things have generally gone well under Rosenior in the league, but the past two games have left them with little margin for error.
What has your club’s manager learnt from the Carabao Cup semi-final?
Lawrence: Over the two legs, Arteta probably gained some confidence in the capabilities of his team in different situations. For a spell at Stamford Bridge in the first leg Arsenal played with impressive verve and determination to dominate. At 3-1 (it could easily have been more) it looked like they had Chelsea’s number. A seemingly unnecessary concession to make it 3-2 was a blot, and it’s a habit Arsenal have not yet eradicated, so it will be important to bear that in mind.
As for the second leg, not sure how much of a learning experience it was to have it confirmed that Kai Havertz has the presence to be fundamental to Arsenal. Overall, they were able to keep their opponents at arm’s length.
Liam Rosenoir and Mikel Arteta will take valuable lessons from their Carabao Cup meeting (Chris Lee – Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
Jones: This game sits in a very different context to both legs of the semi-final for Chelsea. The first leg was Rosenior’s first game in charge against Premier League opposition, and he was without players including Reece James, Cole Palmer, Liam Delap, and Moises Caicedo. It was hard to draw many conclusions from that.
The second leg was also something of a one-off. Rosenior set up with a back five, choosing to prioritise not conceding an early goal that would have killed the tie. There is nothing to suggest he will do that again on Sunday — but in case he was considering it, the second leg should serve as a lesson that a defensive approach is both very hard to pull off against Arsenal (though Chelsea did come close), and is not particularly popular with the fans.
What is the minimum return your club’s fans will expect from this season now?
Lawrence: That depends entirely on how full, or empty, any individual fan’s glass is. The range is probably from a domestic trophy or two to a quadruple (which is not exactly a normal aspiration that is seen through by any great side so it is on the wildly ambitious side of things).
Clearly no trophies at all would be heartbreaking, given the steady evolution of the squad during the past few years. Most would be thrilled to hoist one of the big ones, even though there is still a long and precarious road ahead in both.
Jones: Given Chelsea’s squad has only grown stronger since last season, with several signings and no key departures — though long-term injuries to Levi Colwill (ongoing) and Palmer will have had an impact — at least maintaining Champions League status has to be the expectation.
They are in the top five for now and have chances to take points off their direct rivals for fifth place, Manchester United and Liverpool, in the run-in — but if what has happened so far this season is anything to go by, it is dropping points in seemingly more innocuous fixtures which could undo them.
Who is your team’s most important player in this game?
Lawrence: Bukayo Saka. Last weekend he really shone and looked every inch the technical and psychological leader of Arsenal in an attacking sense. It has not been his most dynamic season, and at times it was reasonable to wonder if he was still trying to rediscover the highest notes after a year seriously disrupted by a serious injury. But he elevated his performance, which in turn elevated those around him. Arsenal need a strong Saka in these coming weeks and another great display will build the consistency they want from him.
Jones: Joao Pedro. This is the first time this season that Chelsea have had an in-form striker to lean on as a focal point and the triangle between him, Palmer and Enzo Fernandez is producing some lovely football.
Judging by the number of central defenders who keep pushing him over in the penalty area, he is clearly considered a threat and can cause panic.
Match prediction?
Lawrence: Like last weekend, and a few of the coming weekends as well, Manchester City play first and Arsenal will be tasked with responding. They absolutely have to put the blinkers on and look after themselves. Anything less than three points against opponents they have a strong record against does not bear thinking about.
Jones: Given the disappointment of Burnley and the frustration of their last outing against Arsenal, Chelsea’s players must be tempted to come out swinging. However, Rosenior seems pragmatic enough to recognise the risks of opening up space for Arsenal early.
Chelsea are unlikely to set up as defensively as their last trip to the Emirates, but should look to take the sting out of Arsenal early and subdue the crowd. I predict an Arsenal opener, a Joao Pedro equaliser, and Arsenal to nick all three points late on.