Arsenal set to face off against Chelsea in the much desired London Derby on Saturday in Emirates Stadium. The much-anticipated match will be a stern test to the Blues as they will play against Arsenal for the first time under Antonio Conte.
While Arsenal themselves will be on their toes as Arsene Wenger is keen to win Premier League this station as this is going to be his last season at the club after an unbelievable 20 years with the Gunners.
The Gunners are aware of the threat posed by Chelsea as they are keen to keep their momentum going on after a slow start to Premier League this season.
The Gunners have won their last three Premier League games and an EFL cup and are in red-hot form going into the fixture as they remain the favorites in the derby.
Meanwhile, Chelsea have the exact opposite way as they won 1 point in their last two Premier League games after winning their first three Premier League games under Antonio Conte. The Blues go into the game after their unbelievable 4-2 win against Leicester in EFL Cup after they were down 2-0 before winning the game.
Antonio Conte is keen to win the game as the win could boost the confidence of the team as they have been below par over the last couple of days and a win at Emirates would help the team get much-needed momentum as they go along the season.
Team News:
Arsenal will be without Aaron Ramsey going into the game as the Welshman is still recovering from the hamstring injury that he suffered against Liverpool in their Premier League opener.
Olivier Giroud might also not start the game as the Frenchman is still recovering from the toe injury. Long-term absentees Per Mertesacker and Danny Welbeck are ruled out for the fixture.
Chelsea have comparatively lesser injury cobwebs going into the game as they are expected to field the best possible XI for the game.
However, Blues are yet to be known about the availability of John Terry who is running out of time to get fit in time for the game.
What the managers said?
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger: “How we play will be important but also how we behave.”
When asked about dealing with Costa, he said his players needed to be “completely cold-blooded and just focus on the game and not respond”.
He added: “Just try to eliminate his qualities and his game. You need to be committed but by respecting the rules of the game.”
Prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea
Kick-off time: September 24, 2016 17:30 GMT (22:00 IST)