3 threats Arsenal must be wary of when they face Chelsea

There was once a time when Didier Drogba almost single-handedly dominated this match-up, but the tables in terms of Arsenal/Chelsea head-to-head supremacy have turned in recent years.

The Gunners previously lost five straight against their London rivals between 2009-2010 and endured a winless run of seven games between 2012-2014. Now, though, Arsenal head into Saturday’s duel attempting to win their fourth on the bounce against their London rivals having also enjoyed a three-game winning streak before their first clash of the 2021/22 season.

It’s fair to say that the respective outlooks of both clubs have altered drastically since Romelu Lukaku inspired Chelsea to a 2-0 win at the Emirates. Arsenal have emerged as title contenders, while Chelsea sunk into a banter era of some sort.

Mauricio Pochettino has been tasked with leading the long-term project Graham Potter was supposed to, with back-to-back wins in the Premier League perhaps igniting the Argentine’s reign before the October break. The underlying numbers suggest an uptick in form was always around the corner in west London, and there’s no doubt Saturday’s hosts are stern opponents for Mikel Arteta’s men.

3 threats Arsenal must be wary of when they face Chelsea

Here are three Chelsea threats Arsenal must be wary of at Stamford Bridge.

1. A stout defence

You may not regard a strong backline as a ‘threat’ as such, but Chelsea’s defence will be key to them walking away with points on Saturday. With Arsenal potentially deploying their strongest front line, they’ll undoubtedly be tested.

Poch has so far altered his defensive structure between a back three and four, although injuries to a whole host of centre-backs mean the Gunners should come up against a makeshift defensive line. There are doubts regarding the status of Reece James, while Axel Disasi will miss out. Thus, Marc Cucurella and Malo Gusto could flank a stout centre-back tandem of Thiago Silva and Levi Colwill.

Chelsea’s defensive success transcends individual talent, though. The manager’s sound structure has brought about stability, with the Blues surrendering the same expected goals against (xGA) from open play as Arsenal (5.16) so far this season. However, since facing Liverpool on Matchday 1, the west Londoners will not have faced up against a side as strong as Arteta’s contenders.

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