Because of the circumstances in the Premier League and Champions League, both Arsenal and Chelsea are badly in need of a win in the London derby at Stamford Bridge tomorrow. This is always a tasty fixture and even more so with Jose Mourinho in charge, because of the palpable tension and dislike between him and Arsene Wenger.
After the disappointing Champions League defeat to Dinamo Zagreb, Arsenal are in need of bouncing back fast and with a five point gap between us and the league leaders Man City, we really need the points as well, while Chelsea got a morale boosting UCL win at home to Maccabi Tel Aviv but that will count for little if they do not get back to winning ways in the Premier League.
So the news that two of their key attacking players, Willian and Pedro Rodriguez, are out of the game with injury problems is a huge blow for Mourinho and the Blues. It is a huge boost for Arsenal as well of course, especially as their best players Eden Hazard, Fabregas and Costa are all struggling for form at the minute.
What this injury news might do, however, is to tip the tactical scales for Mourinho and encourage him to roll out that famous Chelsea bus. I hope not because a more open game would suit us a lot more, especially with the pace and movement of Theo Walcott up front.
Have these two Chelsea injuries just made Arsenal favourites for the points?