Heading to North London to face Arsenal, Chelsea have a massive challenge ahead of them. Manager Liam Rosenior has already confirmed his starting line-up for the match at Emirates Stadium.
The Blues are up against an Arsenal team full of confidence, especially after they took four points off Wolves and Tottenham in back-to-back games. That momentum could make things even more difficult for Rosenior’s side.
Chelsea haven’t looked sharp recently, either. They blew leads in back-to-back draws against Burnley and Leeds, costing themselves valuable points. As Rosenior put it, “they set fire to four points in those games.”
Saturday’s loss to West Ham has pushed Chelsea down into sixth place, knocking them out of the Champions League spots. There’s real pressure now on Rosenior and his players to turn things around quickly.
Chelsea Line-up Set for Arsenal with Two Changes
Rosenior has confirmed Marc Cucurella will miss the game against Arsenal, and Malo Gusto, who filled in on the left against Burnley, is also out of the line-up.
Jorrel Hato comes into the side to replace Gusto, while Reece James returns to his familiar role at right-back. There was also some uncertainty over who would step in for Wesley Fofana in central defence now that Tosin Adarabioyo is back from injury.
Even with Tosin’s height offering a potential solution to Chelsea’s struggles defending crosses, Rosenior has instead opted to give Mamadou Sarr just his second start for the club.
How Chelsea Match Up With Arsenal Across The Pitch
The midfield battle could decide this one. If Chelsea is going to find a way through, they’ll need Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandez to find space against Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi.
Up top, Joao Pedro is likely in for a tough afternoon against Gabriel and William Saliba, while at the other end, Chelsea’s centre-backs will need to be sharp both in open play and when defending set-pieces.
Even a draw would be a good outcome for Rosenior’s side. Most predictions favour Arsenal, with Paul Merson and Chris Sutton expecting them to win without conceding. However, Paul Scholes has tipped Chelsea to pull off an upset.
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