Arsenal vs Chelsea: 3 Things To Watch For

Arsenal go up against Chelsea but after a string of sup-par games, will the Gunners wake up against a hated enemy?

Venue: Emirates Stadium

Date: January 24 (EST)

There are many things in this world we fail to comprehend and no matter how you look at it, it just never makes any sense. For me, only one thing has ever baffled me in the world of soccer, Arsenal’s record against Chelsea.

In what is the best game of the weekend, Chelsea will take a short ride to North London and face Arsenal. However, if you ask me, this game isn’t worthy of the Sunday time slot, and definitely not the title of “best game of the week” for one reason alone. It is not Wenger vs Mourinho any more. That alone makes it a less interesting game.

Prediction: Arsenal 1-2 Chelsea

1) Ozil will play but not well

Last time we watched the Gunners play, we saw Chamberlain consistently do what Ozil rarely does when in the No. 10 role. Chamberlain held the ball for long periods, played with one pace and gave away possession like it was what Wenger told him to do.

As per Squawka.com, the Ox contributed one chance created and a 78% pass accuracy in a 0-0 draw against Stoke. 78% is something we should never see associated to a No. 10 player in charge of controlling and leading the attack. Ozil will definitely be better than that this weekend, if he plays.

However, Ozil will not be that much better than the Ox for one reason alone. Chelsea can sit back and frustrate the No. 10 of opponents better than anyone else in the League. For all of Ozil’s great attributes, his ability to perform with limited space is not a positive for him. In fact, when given less space and time on the ball, Ozil becomes less efficient and slowly moves further back, all bad signs for Arsenal!

2) Costa will give Arsenal a problem

More from Pain in the Arsenal

Diego Costa is the main reason why I think Arsenal will lose this match as his influence on the game will come, not from his play, but from the emotional impact he brings with him. Having been the main reason Arsenal played with 10 men for most of the game last time out, Costa received a lot of criticism for flopping. This time, playing at the Emirates Stadium the Brazilian/Spanish player will definitely be booed every time he touches the ball.

All of that will play in to the minds of Arsenal’s defense and their chances of making mistakes will be rather high as a result of it.

3) Look for me to be wrong on all of this

My prediction of an Arsenal loss and all of the above comes with a major caveat, the exact opposite could happen and Arsenal could dominate Chelsea in a one sided match. Arsenal are a much more cohesive team with much more stability in all phases of the clubhouse when compared to Chelsea. Furthermore, time and time again this season, we have seen Arsenal show up when truly called upon.

Next: 5 Reasons To Laugh At Alexis Exit Rumors

Leicester City’s slow start to the second half has been a blessing for Arsenal but inability to capitalize on other team’s gifts is frustrating and so “Arsenal”. I think this game can definitely go either way but I just think Arsenal have been relaxing a bit for the past few weeks and are not ready for such an intense game. Or they can wake up from their slumber and put on a show, which is just as likely!