Arsenal were not in Premier League action last weekend because they were busy defeating Reading 2-1 (AET) in the FA Cup semi-finals. That result leaves the Gunners with an FA Cup final against Aston Villa. First, though, they need to focus on a difficult London derby with rivals Chelsea.
José Mourinho can almost feel the Premier League trophy in his hands. A 1-0 win over Man Utd has moved the Blues 76 points, which puts them 10 clear of Arsenal. Mourinho will seek to maintain that gap at all costs, which means that Arsenal could be in for a frustrating afternoon.
Expectations
Astoundingly, the Gunners have won eight-straight Premier League games since defeat at Tottenham in early February. Arsène Wenger committed to changing his tactical approach by sticking with Francis Coquelin as holding midfielder. Coquelin has been fantastic in solidifying the Arsenal midfield.
Arsenal will need Coquelin to play effectively if they are to beat Chelsea. The Blues started with Nemanja Mati? and central defender Kurt Zouma, as their holding midfielders against Man Utd, and Chelsea were the home team. Mourinho is absolutely going to do the same against Arsenal.
The Portuguese manager will always adapt to negate the tactics of teams that are of a close standard to his. He almost never takes the game to quality teams. An incredible 70% of possession was given up to Man Utd, which could have gone so badly on a different day.
Mourinho’s tactics fell short recently in the Champions League, resulting in departure at the hands of PSG. He might not get it right all the time in Europe, but his success in the Premier League is much more consistent.
Chelsea can start against Arsenal with the very same line-up from their last game. Of course, Mourinho will hope that Loïc Remy returns from injury to start in place of Didier Drogba.
Match Tips
Tip one: Draw @ 3.25 with Betfair
Tip two: Halftime draw @ 2.05 with Betfair
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Arsenal have been so good in their recent league games, but they are unlikely to win a ninth-straight. Meanwhile, Chelsea will settle for a draw to maintain their 10-point lead over the Gunners.
