Preview - Arsenal v Chelsea

[Strike 7,271]

When the dust settles after a triumphant 3 days for Chelsea Football Club, the sudden realisation that there are 2 more matches left in this gauntlet hits you like a speeding truck. Chelsea face Arsenal this weekend in a make or break clash, the spoils – A place in the top 4 of the Premier League. Forget for a moment that Arsenal are our London rivals. Forget for a moment about the last week where we thrashed Tottenham 5-1 and beat mighty Barcelona 1-0. This game is all about finishing in the top 4 this season – Priority Number One.Sure, we are one nil up at half-time of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals vs Barcelona but that is no reason to hinge our Champions league hopes for next season on winning the competition this year. The phrase "Walking a tight-rope" couldn't be more appropriate.

Arsenal, having played 34 games, are currently third on 64 points. That is 7 points ahead of Chelsea and 5 ahead of Tottenham and Newcastle who have all played a game less. Spurs play QPR and the Magpies face Stoke, both after Chelsea's lunch-time kick-off on Saturday. That alone emphasizes how much Chelsea need to win and put pressure on the other top 4 chasers. Anything other than a win will all but kill of Chelsea's hopes of finishing in the top 4.

To quote Martin Tyler in FIFA 12 – "Chelsea come into this game with that great feeling of momentum". In the space of 3 days, Chelsea have turned their season on its head and are now staring at the prospect of a fantastic finish to a season that was down in the drain little over a month ago. Tottenham were dispatched at Wembley and then a brilliant defensive display, a great counter-attacking goal and lady luck conspired to help Chelsea topple European champions Barcelona at Stamford Bridge. Di Matteo said," Any win against Barcelona will only breed confidence" and Chelsea go to Emirates feeling like they have saved the world from the apocalypse.

Arsenal on the other hand have had a topsy-turvy few weeks. A loss against QPR at Loftus Road was followed by an impressive win over Manchester City but they were brought down to earth again at home to Wigan on Monday.(with one of our old boys Franco di Santo getting on the scoresheet) Robin "he scores when he wants" van persie is enduring a 'relative' goal-drought. Apart from the penalty against Wolves, he hasn't scored in the last six games. Also they have lost Mikel Arteta through injury for the rest of the season.

For all of Chelsea's momentum, they come into this game jaded by the heroics of Wednesday. Thankfully, they don't have to travel too far but di Matteo will be looking to shuffle his pack for this one. Players who saw little or no action in the Barca game are likely to get a game on Saturday. So expect some or all of Kalou, Bosingwa, Sturridge, Torres, Essien, Bertrand to start. Chelsea also have Branislav Ivanovic suspended as he sits out his 2nd game of a 3-game ban. Oriol Romeu, David Luiz and John Terry are all nursing injuries but otherwise the squad is fit even though it is tired.

Player to watch (Chelsea) – Didier Drogba (if he plays) : Cesc Fabregas rightly summed it up when he said : "When I faced Chelsea with Arsenal, we would always attack attack attack and then Drogba would score". Drogba has been Arsenal's tormenter for the past 7 years. Drogba has 13 goals in 14 games against Arsenal. He was modest in saying: "I don't know how to explain my record against Arsenal. Maybe it is just a question of being in the right place at the right time."

Player to watch (Arsenal) – Robin van Persie : The hit-man in Arsenal's camp. RVP may not have scored from open-play in 6 games but the last time these two sides met he ran riot and scored a hat-trick at the Bridge. He is having an astonishing season for Arsenal and even as a Chelsea fan, I can't help but admire his technique. But then again, Gary Cahill maybe thinking van Persie who? I just kept Messi at bay.

With one eye on the Champions League semifinal second leg, Chelsea travel to the Emirates looking to complete a memorable week in the club's history as the race for the top 4 places heats up again.

Sit back and Enjoy.

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