Arsenal: Pragmatic approach against Chelsea logical

Arsenal’s away form last season was nothing short of utterly despicable. The game against Chelsea will be no easy feat, the Gunners must be cautious.

Arsenal started the season in a “less than ideal” way. Losing the first game to Manchester City may have been expected by some, but that is what makes the result even more painful. Zero points from the first game may sound bad, but no points from the first two games sounds like a nightmare.

If the reds of London arrive at Stamford Bridge expecting  to win and focusing more on the attacking aspects of the game, Chelsea will shred the Gunners on the counter-attack.

Pragmatic approach would mitigate Hazard threat

Chelsea’s talisman, Eden Hazard, is set to make his return in the Saturday game. Many are saying the Belgian international may start as the Blue’s striker, due to the fact that Alvaro Morata looks as though he will miss the game after his wife gave birth to twins.

If this is the case, Arsenal’s aggressive and powerful, yet somewhat slow, center backs will have their work cut out for them. Despite Hazard playing down the middle there is no doubt that he loves to run at defenders, especially fullbacks with poor positioning.

Bellerin and Lichtsteiner (who could start as the leftback), must be defensively aware throughout the 90 minutes.

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Pacey counter-attack would obliterate Chelsea’s wobbly defense

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyeng and Alexandre Lacazette can do major damage on Chelsea’s less than solid back line, if they are started in unison. Players like David Luiz and Antonio Rudiger, who are expected to start, are not known for being world-class defenders and can be got at with the proper personnel.

Maurizio Sarri’s lack of defensive acquisitions in the transfer window may be detrimental do his new team’s title hopes and even the hopes of finishing in the top four. Though Arsenal must be wary of the Blues of London’s attack, their defense is nothing special.

Would a draw suffice?

Unfortunately, it seems as though a draw in the upcoming game would be accepted, but there is a reason for that. The Gunners away form last season was disgraceful, and picking up a point from one of the most difficult grounds in the league to play in might not be such a bad result.

It is unlike Arsenal not to go toe-to-toe with their opposition, no matter how powerful they are, but is now the time to drop old habits that have cost us so dearly in past affairs? (i.e. Bayern Munich in the Champions League, two years ago.)

Unai Emery has already figured out how difficult the Premier League is from his first match in charge. Whatever approach the Gunners take to Chelsea will say an abundance of how much trust he has for the current squad.