Lower expectations to help Arsenal beat Chelsea?

Let’s be honest, Gooners, and admit that not many people out there who have been watching what goes on in the early stages of the new season is giving Arsenal much of a chance of coming away from our Premier League match this weekend with all three points.

The varying form and results of Arsenal and our next opponents Chelsea are the reason for that, despite the fact that the last five meetings between the teams have seen Arsenal win three, including two games at Wembley which have been for a trophy, with one of the Chelsea wins being in a meaningless pre-season friendly in which the Arsenal team was not only jet lagged but made up of youngsters and fringe players.

You cannot blame people for expecting the Gunners to get rolled over at Stamford Bridge but that lower expectation on the shoulders of the Arsenal players might just help us to get the job done. Our best performances in recent years have often come in games we were not fancied for, and conversely some of the worst have been in games we were expected to win at a canter.

Add to this the fact that we do have this good record in recent clashes with Chelsea, and it might just be worth sticking a pound or two on a surprise win for the Arsenal this weekend.

17 Comments

  1. The last time Arsenal beat Chelsea was in Community Shield match. Arsenal played with three central defenders and three attackers, they should stick to the winning team.

    Lacazette, Welbeck and Iwobi made Chelsea’s defenders and midfielders worked harder. Arsenal should use them again or use similar hardworking players, because Arsenal cannot let Chelsea build their attack from the back.

    If Arsenal play with weak players and create predictable “chances”, they will surely pay for it. They should create unpredictable movements and counterattacks, which could only be achieved by winning the battle in the midfield area.

    1. community shield outcomes are never a pointer to league form – fact is chelski are no slouches and they did a stealth job of dismantling the spuds at wembley. arsenal most definitely will find a way into the final third where david luiz, alonso, will await us – our ambition will require welbeck to stay upright and provide precision assists and either sanchez or ozil to open up what will prove to be a well drilled defence. seems we always make chances with teams the calibre of chelski but one sore point has been having the efficiency to finish these off – enter Lacazette.

  2. Arsenal are the favourite to win
    this game no doubt.
    Arsenal has already beaten Chelsea
    in the Community shield making it two
    wins in a row after the FA Cup win.
    Chelsea have been in poor form this season and look tired.
    They were humiliated at home by Burnley in the season opening round.
    7 of Chelsea’s first team played mid week in the ECL whereas
    Arsenal could afford to rest 9 first team members because
    the “B” team is enough in the weak Europa league.
    Lacazette Sanchez and Ozil will simply be too much for
    Chelsea who are having a “Mourinho” season and
    after tomorrows loss will sink with out a trace.
    Matic’s replacement Bakayoko is a red card in waiting
    while Hazard is 5 weeks short of match fitness.
    Yes Arsenal should win this game by a couple.
    I’m going Chelsea 1-Arsenal 3.

    1. After reading this , all I can say is that presumably you EXPECT to win the National Lottery too every week and will be actually disappointed when you don’t. Try reality sometime! And I am a lifelong Gooner, a realistic , in touch with reality one.

  3. The midfield for me is the problem area, it has to be Elneny and Xhaka….

    How I wish we can start Welbeck, Sanchez and Lacazette all at one but that will only be possible in our old formation unless of course you wanna bench Ozil who won’t do much anyway:
    Old formation:
    Back four……….

    ……………………Xhaka…………..Elneny………….

    Welbeck…………Ozil………………..Sanchez…………..

    …………………….Lacazette…………

    This looks more stronger imo…..but recently we beat Chelsea with 3421:

    …….Bellerin……..Xhaka………..Elneny…………Kolasinac………

    …………………………Ozil…………Lacazette………….Sanchez…..

    Having all of Welbeck, Lacazette and Sanchez ahead of Ozil behind them gives us great unpredictablity, industry(welbeck) and fluency….

    We still have Giroud and Walcott on the bench to call upon….

    We have the team to win the game we just need to turn up tactically and be confident,lower or higher expectations won’t do anything for us……

  4. It is a completely wrong statement to say, we generally do better, when we are not expected to.
    In recent years, we have underperformed again and again against the better teams in the PL, and the same goes for our Champions League participation.
    Yes, you can find a few exceptions to this, but in general, we actually do much worse than expected.
    But I suppose, if we can get the expectations so low, that we expect to loose every game against a top club by 2-3 goals, we will eventually exceed expectations.
    I do wish the situation was different, so that we could expect to do well and be one of the favourites for the league and a real force in Europe as well.
    Anyway, I will hope for a good result against Chelsea and I certainly will be positively surprised, if it happens 🙂

    1. im with you on elneny – though im hoping he proves to have an element of steel to his character. he still some way to go before convincing me that hes any more than a short term solution to our longstanding problems in the centre-midfield.

  5. The last time we won at Chelsea I must admit I didn’t have much faith that day either! So hopefully they’ll surprise me tomorrow. Think the first goal will be crucial. Come on Arsenal!

  6. what about xhaka…he isn’t convincing either. at least eleny is more mobile, won’t give away passes and would make a tackle or two. can’t really say the same about xhaka. honestly till date, I still don’t know what he brings to the team.

  7. I lowered my expectations as soon as Wenger extended his contract so i am ok with the thrashing we are going to get tomorrow

  8. What an idiot these Paul Merton geezer saying he can’t see any arsenal player getting into Chelsea team well pal with the same set of players we’ve beaten them 3 times in the last twelve months besides we are playing away so if we get a point to me that’s a result against Chelsea, don’t let’s beat ourselves and the team before the game, come on yu gooooooners!!!!!!!!

    1. He hasn’t even chosen Koscianley , Kolasinac or Mustafi for the combined XI !!!! media’s bias against Arsenal is pathetic.

  9. As a lifelong dyed in the wool Gooner I find myself torn between heart(wanting us to win well)and head(wanting us to lose badly to help enforce regime change). I have written off, long ago, ever hoping to win the title under Wenger/ Kroenke/ Gazidis and even hope for top four is forlorn, in reality. I expect to finish 6th this season right behind Liverpool and in front of Everton. But what use is 6th and wouldn’t 16th actually be more long term use to the club, I ask myself. That way, we could be sure of no more Wenger next season. Naturally I am torn, but think it best to be open and honest on a Gooner site with fellow Gooners, who all want what is best for the club- which to me can never include Wenger- and though I expect abuse, surely some at least will see my point.

    1. Jon Fox must surely be a very malevolent man! Why would you wish your team bad luck so as to force regime change? How would this be useful to you unless you hope to be the new owner or manager? It is fans like you who make a mockery of our Club. All along I thought some people opposed Wenger because of poor performances but if people are yearning for losses so as to get rid of individuals they hate this is sheer lunacy! It is the height of irrationality, stupidity and mediocrity!

  10. Why worry about a clown like Paul Merson? Games are won on the pitch not on wishes of individuals. Last season there is not a so-called big team we didn’t beat and yet the pundits still keep stressing how we don’t beat the big teams. It is all disgusting. I am really starting to question whether most pundits hate Arsenal. Fortunately many of them will eat humble pie tomorrow if Wenger doesn’t make stupid decisions of putting players in positions they don’t ordinarily play. Wenger’s team selection will decide tomorrow’s game. If we put out the team that beat Bournemouth Arsenal will win the game. There should e no unnecessary tinkering with players.

  11. If Ozil and Ramsey play tomorrow then we gonna lose the game. Ply Welbeck/Wilshere behind striker. Walcott and Sanchez in the wings. Elnerny and Xhaka in the middle. Then Arsenal will win the game. But Wenger is obsessed with Ozil and Ramsey

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