Ian Wright has warned Chelsea ‘they will get beaten quite easily’ if they continue in their current ways ahead of their Premier League clash against Arsenal on Sunday.
Over the weekend, Graham Potter, upon his return to Brighton, watched Chelsea get slapped up 4-1, whilst Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal moved back to the top of the Premier League table by dispatching Nottingham Forest 5-0 on home soil.
It was a weekend of mixed emotions for the London duo, but the energy levels are going to be ramped up on Sunday.
There is the small matter of European commitments in midweek, but both teams have already booked their places in the knockout stages of the Champions League and the Europa League, respectively.
Therefore, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the so-called lesser players are playing, but then again, as Potter has proven since moving to Chelsea, he likes to make change upon change to his XI depending on the opposition.
That was touched upon by Wright and how Potter’s team looks ‘disorganised’ and possibly ‘papering over the cracks’ and thinks Arsenal will punish them if they don’t change their ways, as he told Premier League Productions (31/10/22 at 2:15 pm).
“It’s the way that they played, it was so disorganised,” said Wright. “I know they have lost one in ten. The way they played the other day, that’s not good form if you look at the teams that are coming.
“If he doesn’t make them more solid and get something going in there, whether it’s Kovacic or Jorginho – then I think it will happen again. I think it might be papering over cracks in the games up to this point – they can’t carry on like that. They will get beaten. They will get beaten quite heavily. It’s a worry and he (Potter) has to sort it out quickly.
“You have to respect the players they have got (on if Chelsea hold any problems for Arsenal) – you want to show the fans, especially at home, that I am going to make it solid and get us playing well so we can put pressure on an Arsenal side that start very well, but maybe they fade. You want to keep them at bay, then you go for them in the second half.
“So, he has got the players to do that – why it’s still a tough game for Arsenal is because if Chelsea change that, then they are playing in a London derby, at home, then Arsenal are going to be properly tested. If they don’t, then Arsenal will beat them.”
TEN POINTS DIFFERENCE
It’s been a remarkable season so far for Arsenal and one that deservedly sees them sitting at the top of the Premier League table.
Last season, Chelsea comfortably finished above their neighbours, but it’s proving to be a very different story this time around.
The gap, after 12 league games, is 10 points to think, heading towards the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, that could be 13 is something pretty impressive.
Arsenal’s main aim at the start of the season was to secure Champions League football, well, they are blowing that out of the water, at the moment.
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