Chelsea vs. Arsenal
Venue: Stamford Bridge
Kick off: 1:30pm
All eyes will be on Stamford Bridge on Saturday as the 24th Premier League game week gets underway with a mouth-watering London derby between Chelsea and Arsenal.
The hosts will be looking to take one step closer to a second title in the space of three years, while visitors Arsenal are in desperate need of a win to keep their ailing title hopes alive.
Chelsea owe a certain degree of thanks to Arsenal for their success this season.
The Gunners’ 3-0 win in the reverse fixture between these two sides in September was a chastening enough defeat to convince Antonio Conte to switch his system, since when the Blues have been nigh-on unstoppable.
A run of 13 consecutive league wins followed that defeat, and in all Chelsea have picked up 46 points from the 51 available since – a sensational run of form that has seen them build a nine-point lead over the chasing pack.
Another victory today may be enough to eliminate Arsenal from the equation, but it remains to be seen whether Conte continues with the slightly more reserved tactics he showed at Anfield on Tuesday.
Defeat would leave Wenger’s side 12 points adrift of the league leaders – surely too big a gap to make up considering Chelsea’s form – while even a draw would leave them with a lot to do in the final 14 games of the season.
Chelsea possible XI: Courtois, Azpilicueta, Luiz, Cahill, Moses, Kante, Matic, Alonso, Pedro, Costa, Hazard.
Arsenal possible XI: Cech, Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Coquelin, Walcott, Ozil, Sanchez, Giroud.