Arsenal vs Chelsea Three Crucial Things To Watch For
Chelsea has never been an easy opponent so is Wenger’s team ready for the first real challenge of the season. Is Arsenal ready?
The season is still young but already we are all able to differentiate the contenders and the pretenders of the Premier League. On the summit, Manchester City look over the rest of the league like the powerhouse we all expected from the Pep lead team. Behind them there is Manchester United and Chelsea, many of these teams have obvious flaws but obvious strengths that can cover up those weaknesses. So where does Arsenal belong?
In Chelsea, Arsenal face a true test, a meter stick for the team. With so many questions about the team, fans of the Gunners must take a close look at how Arsenal plays against an organized defense and a team with some true talent in midfield.
Prediction: Arsenal 1-1 Chelsea
Venue: Emirates Stadium
Date: 12:30, 25 September Saturday (EST)
Here are three things to watch for in the match against Chelsea:
(Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
1. How will Arsenal’s midfield be set up
One of the most crucial things to watch for will occur before kickoff. It will be when Wenger announces his lineup, and more importantly how he plans on countering one of the best and most balanced midfields in the league.
Fabregas, Kante, Oscar, Hazard, Cuadrado are all extremely talented players, and they are a reflection of the Chelsea midfield. Skilled, fast, tough, and more worryingly, they have players that can score, create and go back on defense.
Related: Who Should Xhaka Replace?
On the other hand, you have Arsenal, a team that spent £35m to get a player so he can sit on the bench and be well rested for those 30 plus yard shots.
Joking aside, Wenger’s dilemma of who to start between Cazorla, Xhaka and Coquelin is one of the great deciding factors of how Arsenal will play this game.
Over the course of this week, all of us here at Pain in the Arsenal have been debating the combination best suited for Arsenal going forward. What ever your thoughts are, it is undeniable that a combination of Cazorla-Xhaka versus one with Coquelin-Xhaka versus one with Coquelin-Cazorla will give the team a different dynamic.
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All three players play the game differently and no one player is any less important than the other when looking at what they can potentially bring to the team. However, against Chelsea look for Wenger to stick to what he is comfortable with and place Xhaka on the bench again.
With the Coquelin-Cazorla partnership in the middle of the pitch, Wenger will look to bring a little more balance between defending against the Chelsea attack and the Arsenal offense. However, as pointed out but some of my fellow writers, Cazorla hasn’t been exactly amazing when transitioning the team from defense to offense.
Therefore, Cazorla’s role will be key to the Gunners’s chances at winning. Cazorla would have to be able to bring balance to the team and play with effort at the back yet push forward and control the pace of the game when moving forward.
(Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
2. Can Ozil Influence the game?
Let me begin by saying, like a lot of Gunners, Ozil hasn’t been bad so far this season. However, sometimes you just expect certain players to have an influence on any given game regardless of how others play.
It plains me to say that Ozil’s season so far hasn’t been all that impressive. Apart from an amazing half against Watford, Ozil has largely played small.
An observation from watching the game and watching for No. 11 shows that Ozil has been taking the ball much closer to the defense than when he had most success. Part of it is because Arsenal has played opponents who press high up the pitch and try to squeeze the middle of the field.
However, we should never see a case where Coquelin has spent more time being apart of an attack than Ozil. Yet that has been the case many times so far this season.
Ozil’s problem is not a team issue but more of one that is personal, he needs to be calling for the ball and making sure those around him know where he wants the ball so that he can be effective.
As per Squawka.com, in four appearances, Ozil has created nine chances but has zero assists to show for it. Ozil needs to be more influential in the game for Arsenal to have a chance at winning. To that, Ozil needs to be more vocal and active throughout the game, so pay attention to No. 11 because often times if he plays well the offense looks beautiful.
(Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
3. Sanchez vs Giroud
Sanchez is a great player, and I have never been a big fan of Giroud. So you would think that this slide is all about me hating on Giroud and heaping praise to Sanchez. However, Wenger’s biggest change so far this season has resulted in me being rather frustrated.
My frustration doesn’t stem from comparing Giroud to Sanchez but comparing Giroud to Walcott. The comparison is because, if Sanchez plays up front Walcott is the one who plays opposite to Iwobi. Given that, I think Giroud brings balance to the offense where Sanchez and Walcoot can not.
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To put it simply, like Sanchez, Walcott can get behind the opposition and play with speed and some skill. However, without Giroud, Arsenal’s attack becomes rather predictable with similar style forwards across the midfield and up front.
Giroud’s aerial ability complements what oppositions have been forcing The Gunners to do, which is go wide and swing the ball to the middle. Sadly, neither Sanchez nor Walcott are comparable to Giroud at making the most of those type of chances.
As per Squawka.com, Giroud won 52% of all headed duels he was in last season and headed in seven goals. He will never be mistaken for an elite striker but he definitely adds a dimension to the attack that allows for flexibility.
When the opposition press higher up and force players like Ozil to wider areas, a taller, stronger striker gives play-makers opportunities to whip the ball in rather than continue to play the ball in through intricate build ups. If Giroud starts or even plays as a substitute look for Arsenal to bring something different to the game and challenge Chelsea through the air too.
Next: Arsenal’s 50 Most Defining Moments In Club History
Chelsea are a great early season challenge for Arsenal. Better for the team and Wenger to understand what needs to be improved and what is working now than later.
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