Arsenal’s Predicted Starting XI to Face Chelsea FC
by Josh Sippie
Ronnie Macdonald-flickr creative commons
The midweek match-up went worse than expected. Something about the Champion’s League just always seems to bring out a completely different Arsenal. But that game is behind us. What Arsenal have next is against a bottom of the table opponent. Meanwhile, Arsenal is sitting pretty in fourth place.
However, that bottom of the table opponent is Chelsea. Chelsea also played their first Champion’s League match. They whooped up on Tel Aviv 4-0. Momentum rarely transfers between competitions, but Arsenal is the one thing in the way of Chelsea starting a serious rally. The defending champs know they are better than what they have been playing. They will be chomping at the bit to take it out on Arsenal.
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Arsenal, and Arsene Wenger in particular, have already ended the winless drought against Chelsea when they beat the Blues 1-0 in the Community Shield. That is well and good. It got us a cute little trophy. But this is a different ball game. This is the Premier League. Both sides are at a point where they need a win. Chelsea wants to avoid ever touching the relegation zone. Arsenal have to put Dinamo Zagreb behind them and continue their EPL momentum.
Arsenal do not have any key injuries. Jack Wilshere, Danny Welbeck and Tomas Rosicky are still out but beyond that, all looks well. Per Mertesacker was held out at midweek from his virus but he is expected to be better by the weekend.
Chelsea do have some problematic injuries. Gary Cahill is fit and ready to go but both Willian and Pedro look like they will miss the contest. This relieves significant pressure off of the Arsenal full backs.
With all that in mind, here is the starting XI that Arsene Wenger could feasibly deploy.
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<p>Arsenal, and Arsene Wenger in particular, have already ended the winless drought against Chelsea when they beat the Blues 1-0 in the Community Shield. That is well and good. It got us a cute little trophy. But this is a different ball game. This is the Premier League. Both sides are at a point where they need a win. Chelsea wants to avoid ever touching the relegation zone. Arsenal have to put Dinamo Zagreb behind them and continue their EPL momentum.</p>
<p>Arsenal do not have any key injuries. Jack Wilshere, Danny Welbeck and Tomas Rosicky are still out but beyond that, all looks well. Per Mertesacker was held out at midweek from his virus but he is expected to be better by the weekend.</p>
<p>Chelsea do have some problematic injuries. Gary Cahill is fit and ready to go but both Willian and Pedro look like <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2015/09/18/arsenals-predicted-starting-xi-to-face-chelsea-fc/"http://soccerlens.com/chelsea-injury-news-latest-on-pedro-and-willian/177476/">they will miss</a> the contest. This relieves significant pressure off of the Arsenal full backs.</p>
<p>With all that in mind, here is the starting XI that Arsene Wenger could feasibly deploy.</p>
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<p>Thibaut Courtois is out for some time due to surgery. As such, Chelsea will be handing the gloves to second stringer Asmir Begovic. Needless to say, I bet Chelsea wish they still had Petr Cech.<div class="recent-posts ">
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<p>Statistically, Cech has allowed 3 goals and sustained 3 clean sheets while racking up a 3.6 saves per goal ratio. Meanwhile Begovic has no cleansheets, has surrendered 7 goals and has just 1.6 saves per goal (per <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2015/09/18/arsenals-predicted-starting-xi-to-face-chelsea-fc/"http://www.london24.com/sport/football/clubs/arsenal/why_petr_cech_has_the_advantage_over_asmir_begovic_ahead_of_chelsea_return_1_4236444">London24).
<p>Petr Cech is in the perfect situation to pile it on his former club. Without Pedro and without Willian, Chelsea is going to be missing two crucial pieces towards their wide attack. This allows Arsenal a significant bonus in the defense. Cech is going to have less threats to worry about.</p>
<p>Cech said of the game, “I go to a familiar place but most important for me will be to win the game. That’s the way it goes,” (via the <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2015/09/18/arsenals-predicted-starting-xi-to-face-chelsea-fc/"http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/arsenal-keeper-petr-cech-aims-6442097">Mirror). It will be an emotional day for him but his head is in the right place.</p>
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<p>Kieran Gibbs did not do a lot with the opportunity that was given to him against Dinamo Zagreb. Then again, no one really did. Arsenal looked like rubbish all over. Therefore it will be business as usual for the fullbacks. Nacho Monreal will step back in at left back and he will not have Willian to deal with this time around. That will be a welcome absentee. Nor will he have to contend with Pedro.<div class="related-category right">
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<p>The Arsenal fullbacks will have a lot less speed in general to deal with. This should allow them to press up the pitch more and contribute to the attack.</p>
<p>Hector Bellerin will step in for Debuchy as well. While the Frenchman played decently against Dinamo Zagreb, Bellerin’s speed was a noticeable absence. Hector Bellerin should be lining up opposite Eden Hazard. That will give him a lot to do. However, Hazard has been incognito for the majority of the EPL season. Hopefully Bellerin can keep that trend going.</p>
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<p>These are the guys right here. Wenger should not see any other options at centerback. Per Mertesacker may be healthy and he may still have a lot of value for this team but in the big time games when you need your best guys out there, It has to fall to Gabby and the Boss. Both have such potent aggression that can shut down Diego Costa.</p>
<p>Gabriel looked particularly feisty against Zagreb. He was responsible for some crucial, last ditch tackles that could have saved further embarrassment. We know that Koscielny is capable of the same.</p>
<p>Having Gabriel in the center of the defense is like having another Coquelin at centerback. Who does not want more of Francis Coquelin when it comes to protecting the goal?</p>
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<p>Seeing Francis Coquelin back on the pitch is going to make so many people smile. He was bizarrely left out against Dinamo Zagreb and Arsenal paid the price. Coquelin essentially became Arsenal’s most valuable player without even starting. His absence was absolutely painful to see.</p>
<p>You can bet that seeing his team perform the way they did wound up Coquelin. He is going to look like a wrecking ball in the middle of the pitch. Hopefully he can maintain his composure. He has shown major improvements in that department though.</p><div class="widget fs_ads"> <div class="fs_ad_widget-ad" style="margin:0 auto; width: 300px;"> <div class="fs-ll-ad" data-ad-type="minutemedia_slideshow_inline_300x250__desktop__tablet" data-vendor="minutemedia">
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<p>Santi Cazorla will look to ignore everything that happened on the weekdays and just move on with the Premier League, where he has had great success thus far. He and Mesut Ozil are leading the known world in chances created. Against a Chelsea defense that has looked breakable at times, that should continue.</p>
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<p>Aaron Ramsey was missed against Zagreb, just not as much as Coquelin. Ramsey brings physicality and unpredictability to the pitch. Just like Coquelin was probably wound up from the loss, you can bet that Ramsey will be itching to make his mark as well.<div class="recent-posts ">
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<p>He has to be careful though. Ramsey oftentimes tries to do too much and that would not breed great results if he starts getting flustered.</p>
<p>Meanwhile Alexis will be facing up against Branislav Ivanovic unless Mourinho finds a better option. That match-up is something to salivate over. Alexis will be able to run rings around the Serbian, who has been playing well below par so far this year.</p>
<p>Alexis has been on the breaking point in terms of goals. He was painfully denied by the Stoke City keeper, Post, on two separate occasions and Zagreb stoned him twice as well. Alexis is not taking these denials lightly. He wants to score and who better to beat than a Chelsea team longing for a burial?</p>
<div class="next-post amp-get-next-post lg slider"><a class="location" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-post-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2015/09/18/arsenals-predicted-starting-xi-to-face-chelsea-fc/"#"><span class="next amp-next-post-teaser">Next: </span><span class="amp-get-next-post">No. 10 and Striker</span></a></div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><h3 style="font-size:34px;">Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud</h3>
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<p>“But Theo Walcott is so much better,” you say to yourself. Believe what you want, but Olivier Giroud is angry. After Monaco, we saw Olivier Giroud score 7 times in 7 games. Zagreb was the worst Giroud has looked since Monaco. Honestly though, if not for the red card, Giroud had not looked that bad. He was denied on a brilliant header and denied again as he made a run to the right post. Then he was sent off.<div class="recent-posts ">
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<p>Giroud has to be boiling to get back on the pitch. It would be wise to get him back out there against Chelsea, whose defense has looked in shambles. He will occupy most of their defense. Even if he does not score, he will give Alexis and Aaron Ramsey so much space to diddle around in the penalty area.</p>
<p>Mesut Ozil was fairly lackadaisical against Zagreb as well. He will want to rebound just like the rest of the team. This is a game that Ozil has to perform well in. He will have to contend with Nemanja Matic, however. Ozil can have troubles when dealing with increased physicality. This is a big statement game for Ozil. He can show once and for all that he can handle the big dogs.</p>
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