Chelsea smashed Champions League opponents Qarabag 6-0 last night, sending a warning to Arsenal.
The Blues play host to the Gunners on Sunday, and as if the North-London side did have enough demons to contend with currently, they have now seen their weekend’s opponents in top form coming into the game.
London derbies rarely go according to form, but with the Premier League champions making five changes to their starting line-up in midweek, and still completely controlling their European opponents, there is huge cause for concern.
Antonio Conte hailed his side’s performance following the 6-0 demolition, and admits he will be concentrating on the weekend’s clash.
He said; “It was a good start, a perfect start for us.
“To play the first game (of the) Champions League, then to win with a good result, to score many goals, to finish the game with a clean sheet.
“I saw a lot of positive things tonight.
“Now we have to continue, we have to rest tomorrow and then to start to think about the next game, a strong game, a tough game against Arsenal (on Sunday).”
We have been warned, and even despite knowing what a tough task we have to come on Sunday, we can’t even prepare for it as of yet. We have the unfavourable timing of Thursday night’s Europa League group stage tie coming up this week, only three days before our trip to Stamford Bridge, and we cannot afford to get distracted from that.
FC Koln do not appear a huge threat on paper, but players can often be lifted by a big occasion and against a side who are expected to win, and we mustn’t get complacent.
Can Arsenal bring their own devastation to European opponents FC Koln as Chelsea did last night? Do we have to expect the worst from Sunday’s tie?
Pat J
We will win then Sunday lose. It’s just the way it always is. Remember before Chelsea were merger rich they couldn’t win a pis up in a pub. So it shows you need to put money in a team to win
And the Leicester win shows you it doesnt matter!
It could also go the opposite way. Nobody thinks Arsenal would win against Chelsea, like when nobody thought Leicester City could win the Premier League.
Chelsea would be more prepared against Arsenal’s 3-4-2-1, hence Arsenal have to modify it a little bit. 3-5-2 could be a perfect formation to face Chelsea, because Arsenal could have a defensive midfielder like Elneny, to dominate the midfield area and suppress Hazard’s and Pedro’s threats.
With 3-5-2, the creative midfielders could be more free in creating key passes. Arsenal could be more threatening with the quick and wide skillful forwards.
Elneny should play but if its Xhaka and Ramsey we will loose 100%
Arsenal will win against Chelsea on sunday.though they have never been given a chance against Chelsea despite recent dominating them,that notion has reduced pressures on arsenal
If you want guaranteed money, always bet on Arsenal to lose an away game to a top team, and for there to be at least three goals in total scored. The best we can do is probably a score draw, but I’m going for 2-1 Chelsea, but it could easily be 4-1 Chelsea.
Chelsea will be our 7th game of the season, will Wenger FINALLY pick his best XI? So far it’s 0% for Wenger picking his strongest lineup, and people wonder why he gets criticised!
We should be aiming to win them both, nothing less.
If we do or not is a different issue.
We can play the EL with a 2nd team and still look for the win, play some kids and bench players to keep the inform players fit for Sunday, we have the depth.
Ospina
Chambers-Per-Holding
Nelson-Wilshere-Elneny-Sead
Theo-Alexis
Giroud
Sub Sead and Alexis at around 60 mins so they do not burn themselves out for Sunday, they are both good athletes and should be okay unless a nasty injury happens.
To be honest, that is a team that should be good enough for some EPL games, they all have quality which can be impressive if used right and in form. Chambers and Holding are top talents who needs game time, Chambers done brilliantly on loan and let’s not forget the impressive performances Holding is capable of in a proper defence (not playing with 2 LB in CB). Per can offer that maturity and leadership, guiding the kids as he has been praised for from them.
Plus the pace of Chambers and Holding would cover Per lack of pace.
Wilshere and Elneny might not be the best CM players in the world but they both want to fight for the badge, they want to be here and they are passionate. They are both fighting to stay at the club and that can be used to our advantage, neither of them are the best tacklers but again, the effort and the fact neither one of them is shy to try should be more than enough for who we are playing. Not disrespecting them but we all know how well Wilshere and Elneny can play and it is up to them to perform, we have to trust our players and if they perform then they could give top teams a run for their money.
9 out of 11 not playing on Thur will mean they are fully fresh for Sunday, the 2 players will be getting only 60 mins at most and should be fine for Sunday as well… Although Alexis might still be out of favour in which case 10/11 will be fresh from a weeks rest.
Wenger is the theon greyjoy of PL manager.
Weak castrated old dog.
He is there for two years, move on and support the club or go elsewhere and support a club who’s manager you like. Ridiculous rubbish.
MOURINHO: ‘After 2-0 I think everything changed and we stopped to play, stopped to think, stopped to play seriously,’. ‘We stopped to make the right decisions on the pitch and we could put ourselves in trouble.
‘Bad decisions, fantasy football, PlayStation football, tricks and when you stopped to play as a team and when you stopped to play seriously I don’t like and you gamble a little bit. ‘The players probably felt that the game was under control with the 2-0 but football is football and you have to respect your opponent
Who else noticed this trend with Arsenal every season?
For the past 4 season how many matches have we won with the score sheet of 4 to 7 goals when we could have?
once we score a 3rd goal, our players would relax and start playing with the ball. It pisses me off honestly!! Why can’t we always go for goals for fvck sake!!??
Watch Arsenal this season again, we’ll continue with this trend. it has already begun against Bournemouth
our players need to have that killer instinct so that opponents will shiver before the game. THE GRACE ARSENAL THEN WIN 7-O…6-1…5-0….
The arsenal football brand is entertainment
We will get beat by chelsea on sunday like other teams do they will expose our defensive weaknesses and we will be saying the same things we did after liverpool defeat! This team has no leaders are weak and easy to play against and we have a deluded manager so we are in for 2 more years of misery!!
We will win on Sunday,we have laca he will score and by the way Chelsea win 6-0 against quarabag not Madrid or lag or Barca. Quarabag first time heard this name.
Tony Adams used to be there manager!
Different team
Tottenham played them last year in the EL, they won 3-1 at WHL and 0-1 at carrier bags ground.
So Chelsea beat some team from Azerbaijan, and suddenly it’s a “huge warning”? Get over yourselves. EPL is a whole different beast, and I expect a tough battle. It could be 3-0 Chelsea, or it could also be 3-0 Arsenal as we saw last season. But my money is on a tight 1-1 draw. We shall see. Not looking forward playing in Europa League, but definitely looking forward to playing Chelsea on Sunday.
yes it could be 3-0 to chelsea but why it could be 3-0 to arsenal ? at stamford bridge with wenger i think its impossible to win possible to draw but its hard
What should be the line up for Europa and Che game? Iwobi and Nelson played well in preseason and welbeck looking good,ozil played decent part and laca can finish, Sanchez well getting into shape.In recent games kolasinac is real force from left.
@Vlad agree with u depends on day which team play with better intensity and stays focused.
It is difficult to predict Arsenal games especially against the big teams or teams like us. We can win any team on our day and we can lose emphatically on another day.
Chelsea game won’t be easy as it is at Stamford Bridge. A draw wouldn’t be a bad result but an away win will be incredible……..
Carrier Bag are the weakest team in Champions League.
We will do Chelsea Sunday.
The Chelsea game is going to be a hard game they will go for the kill early on they will go for revenge we need to be very clever and strong and in there face and if we score they will loose their heads with clear frustration and might end up with 10 men on the field so the essence of the game would be to break them down in their face and score we need to be very tight on them with strength with clever movement with the ball hope I see us beating them but firstly we need the win tomorrow to get the form the confidence and the killing mentality On
Arsenal will never and I repeat NEVER beat chealshit at their own backyard with Old Grizzly Bear Wenger still in charge and Kroenke still at the helm