Chelsea travel to Wembley today to take on Tottenham Hotspur, but which result would be better for Arsenal’s season? The Blues ran away with last season’s Premier League title, while Spurs ended up as their closest rival at the tail end of the campaign, although failed to mount any pressure in the final months.
This is a new year however, and last year’s champions have already lost after only one outing, and could well be in for another tough campaign with a squad seriously lacking in strength.
Chelsea have allowed Nemanja Matic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Nathaniel Chalobah, Kurt Zouma and Nathan Ake all to leave the club in the current window, while outcasting Diego Costa also, and have brought in only three signings to replace them. They have promoted youngsters Charly Musonda, Andreas Christensen and Jeremie Boga to the squad, but they have limited experience between them, and will need to add numbers before the August 31 deadline lands.
Spurs also have a tough campaign ahead, having moved to Wembley to play out their home matches, a move which failed to prove fruitful in last season’s Champions League campaign. They have failed to add more than one player to their squad, whilst allowing Kyle Walker to leave to join Man City.
We on the other hand are our own worst enemy, allowing Stoke City to beat us yesterday, and will certainly have to see a serious improvement if we are to challenge for the title, but which result would be best for us today?
I can’t help wanting Spurs to lose regardless, but do we rate either as a stronger challenger to us for the top four or league title?
Pat J
Here we go again
I just want Arsenal to win
I only care about Arsenal not other teams
its Ok
lets hope arsenal begin winning, starting with Bournemouth
The moment Liv became our third fix the Stoke game was lost.
honestly we have a chance if coutinho joins Barc
I think we can if Wenger gives up on the failed experiment of Monreal leading the CB, we need a leader in there and if anything these last 2 games have shown that.
I know that once Kos is back then it will improve and Per can excel in the middle where his pace can be covered more… but…
It makes me want VVD, I was thinking about the money from rumors and with the sale of Gab we should have enough to pay the £70 mil… I can’t think how AFC will pay that though. Being pessimistic about how much we have to spend and we should still have the funds…
I am hoping we get VVD and then sell Mustafi, Mustafi isn’t being trusted in the middle and we need someone in the middle to lead the CB, to lead our 2 young promising talents, Holding and Chambers. Rumors of AFC rejecting a loan move for Mustafi and wanting a transfer would be stupid unless AFC are looking to buy a CB in the last moments, hoping to get a deal on a unhappy player… I know it is hope and unlikely 🙁
arsenal should revert back to 4-4-2 or 4-1-4-1
Atleast with new signings they can finish inside top four.
A back 3 on counter attack is like ‘need a table to hide beneath to avoid bullets..!
That’s prob why he done it. He hated that we and some pundits were calling for change, even small changes. Then it made us look solid, gave us a good shape. Wenger then picks a team which looks anything but, now he might have an excuse to revert back, before going into song and dance about it was never tactics and why it worked on a short term basis.
He’d still need more protection in front of him. I was in agreement with Gerrard and Keown yesterday when saying that Xhaka needs someone beside him who can stop players. Ozil makes this very relevant. Tott and Chelsea went with two holding players ( defensive players) in this position last season. Look at Manu, two big strong lads but they both rarely play loose balls unless in the final third or a long ball. Koeman the same, he always went with two strong players and they’ve been a difficult opponent over the years.
When you can afford to buy very expensive forwards, bringing in big names like Alexis Ozil Lacazette, then most of the forward play should be left up to the forwards. It is how teams are getting the balance right or close to being right. We were always a very attacking team, but Wenger underestimates just how much work his first few teams done with defence, it’s like all he remembers is the Newc goal, Henry’s Liv and Tott goals. Adams Eve goal ..which I’m sure he gave himself a huge pat on the back for. Wenger needs to understand that [competition itself] is a form of [entertainment].
This question doesn’t matter.
Spurs are way ahead of Arsenal in every department.
Chelsea are way ahead of Arsenal in every department.
LOL, to what purpose? We’re still shipwrecked with Wenger.
Non-existent midfield
Abysmal defense
Blunt attack without Sanchez
Our season will be like every other since 2004, convincing only when the top 4 is at stake.
2 years ago City lead the table after 5 matches with goal difference 15-0, but ended up finishing 3rd or 4th. So that’s why I dont think United are all that yet because anything can happen. Only fact we do know that it won’t be us challenging.
man utd got lukkaku upfront,(he is monstrous)
pogba on middle ( with long legs,like striding the park)
matic on defensive front.
Man utd is the team to be beaten this season.
Unlike most, I see the rivalry with Spurs as friendly as I have a lot of friends in both fan camps. Chelsea however were at the level of West Ham in my childhood and they are only where they are because of the Russian. Deplorable club with arrogance to spare.
Only the most blinkered gooner could dislike this current Spurs team. Young, British, loyal, everything we’ve been crying out for at Arsenal for a decade. Chelsea on the other hand are impossible to like. 6-0 to Spurs pls!
Are you serious with the headline ?
I dont want Spuds just to lose….I want them to die !
😆
Someone gave me a thumbs down !…………………must be a secret spud fan ! hahahaha
I don’t think we really care about them at this point…I can’t even get myself to watch any match again this weekend…boy o boy the pain of being a gunner
IDC….I don’t care!
Both teams will finish above us anyway….
Who cares … Both will finish above us because they have a better first 11 and a better manager than we do … Wenger is a disgrace to the club and the fans who back him are worse
Lots of secret Spuds fans then ! hahaha
Boo! hahaha
Both teams are likely contenders for the title. But are we????
So does it matter? Apart from we don’t want Spurs to become champions.
It doesn’t matter about our rivals, as we saw in 2016. Every one of our rivals finished below us, and yet Wenger still couldn’t get anywhere near winning the league. What more proof do you need ?
You do realise that me being a masochist all them thumb downs are just getting me aroused ! hahaha
Here we go we are rubbish so let’s post things about other teams does it matter who loses ?
Don’t you like following the PL title race even if you know we are not in it? I look forward to most games that include two top six teams playing each other.
Never worry. Arsene is working around the clock to ensure that his books of accounts are well balanced. We shall keep our fifth place by the end of the season but our books will be intact. That’s what is most important. In Arsene we trust
Anyone surprised by yesterday’s loss has not been paying attention to what has gone on at AFC before.
Nothing has changed.
@admin can we get that Wenger leaving countdown clock please?
“Failed to mount any pressure in the final months”?! Which league were you watching?
Fair question. When you can’t rely on your own strength you have to hope for other’s weaknesses.
Personally, I like Conte and hate Spurs (although I respect them a lot for what they have put together on a small budget – it’s what we used to do a long time ago), so I would like Chelsea to win.
Who cares spurs prop beat them anyway we are falling giant in bits everywhere team to da owners to da manager always up to da fans , club needs a big name someone who Sanchez will say hey great signing I’m staying I believe in this project but same shit every year some fans still think we’re great and hope it be this year haha I no the way it is ahwell we go anfield and win haha draw be good result we’re already playing catch up to Jose but they no we’re no treat we’re prop behind Everton like Jesé who scored yesterday could play for us but we got Walcott or ozil even thou I thought Ozick did some good play but to weak gives up easy I honestly think if we lose Liverpool da house will fall down everywhere we need top defender and steel in midfield and we need right winger I say van diik and nzonzi if not nzonzi go get hamsik worldy player he is and go get wolfed zaha if not him Carracci of Atlanta Madrid load out there handily is da player we should get thou wat lift he give us
Can I hope for a freak of nature and a tornado to suck both teams out of the stadium?
XD
Neither actually.i’d vote “MANURE” all day long,every week,every month & every season.how could it possibly anyone else?
No disrespect intended but how can you seriously state that Arsenal are title, heck even top 4 contenders atm?
What I reckon happened against Mighty Stoke(refuse to watch until Le Fraud is gone)
Welbeck still cant score in a London brothel
Ramsey runs and runs and runs and runs
Sanchez still nursing that slightly aggravated vag.
Fresh off his displacing Pique as the starting CB for Spain, Monreal is Wengers first choice in middle of defense for the Gunners
Bellerins hair and current form are equally as horrendous.
Xhaka completed more passes to the Orks than teammates
Walcotts hair and form are predictability horrendous
Laca is already missing Lyon
Ox runs and runs and runs and runs
Wenger still making $8M a year and embarrassing the club I cherish.
So yeah we’re absolutely title contenders, pass the bong.
And pass the scotch and pass the Vicodin and pass the anger management booklet and pass . . . the buckets and buckets of frustration!
?
Oh, and how do you like seeing those damn pics of the guys during training sessions, all laughing, hugging, rolling around like they’re at summer camp? Why not? No pressure from the boss, no high expectations and a nice fat paycheck!!
Want spuds to loose, heavily, very heavily.
I don’t wish defeat for any team, by the time I wish Man City bad, wish man united bad, wish Tottenham bad, wish Chelsea bad, Liverpool bad wish Everton bad and now stoke all my emotions would have been exhausted. And then as they lose Arsenal will follow them lose, tell me how am suppose to breath
Next match is HUGE!
Hope to have Kolchelny & Sanchez back. We need them!!!
Need a different shape in our next match-
Cech
Mustafi – Kos – Monreal
Ox – – – Sead
Elneny – Xaka
Ramsey – Sanchez
Giroud
Back 3 is our strongest.
Ox – been great – are arguably best player in recent games.
Sead played great in wing – back position.
Elneny AND Xaka is a cautious defensive setup – help protect against a good attacking team.
Sacrificed Ozil – instead Ramsey and Sanchez will Both provide attack genuine goal threat – and always Track back and help defend from the front.
Giroud has played great – and deserves to start. We won most of our games end of last season playing him up top. Win our first game this season – and nearly got us draw in last game. Play him!
I’d want Chelsea to win, a Tott one after that. Usually in these games I like draws but now I want either Chelsea fall further or Tott and Chelsea in same boat for now.
Play Wellbeck in wing-back role. He’s just not a natural goal scorer- but has energy and determination
Similar to Ox – that’s why position will work.
Means can play Sead as DMF – give us the protection we need.
Be Brave with a different line-up. Like this…
Cech
Mustafi – Kos – Monreal
Ox – – – Wellbeck
Xaka – Sead
Ramsey – Sanchez
Giroud
Playing Wellbeck as wingback – because he’s not a natural goal scorer, but great work rate, and can help with Assists and occupying defenders giving more space to others