When Chelsea come to the Emirates on Sunday, they will be trying to retain a 100% start to the season, while Arsenal will be looking for damage control after losing to newly-promoted Brentford in the League opener.
Chelsea were not known as a highscoring team last season despite their success, but a 3-0 win against Palace shows they are hoping to change that in this campaign, and will be keen to get their new superstriker Romelu Lukaku on the scoresheet if he makes his debut against the Gunners.
Lukaku spoke to Football.London about this weekends game, and feels ready to go into battle for Chelsea again. “They [Arsenal] are a team who are rebuilding I think.” he said. “At the end of the day, I just look at my team and focus on the players that we have. It’s going to be a tough game, big game, London derby obviously.
“But you know, we are preparing ourselves for a battle because they didn’t have the best start and we want to keep building on the good result that we got at the weekend.”
The Belgium international is feeling fit and ready to go straight away, so we are likely to see him on Sunday at some point, although he hasn’t had much time with his new team-mates so far. He said: “I’m ready so it’s just about getting into the team and trying to prove myself to the coaches that if I’m needed, I can play. We all have to compete throughout the week to earn our starting spot.
“For me it’s going to be a new fight but we’re all fighting for one cause – to make sure that Chelsea win! I’ll make sure that in training I give 100% every day and make sure that I’m ready for each game.
“I’m happy the first one is a big game away at Arsenal so hopefully we can prepare ourselves well and get a good result.”
Arsenal I would say are not considered to be ready. It seems that Martin Odegaard will not be playing, and who knows what is going on with Aubameyang and Lacazette after their illnesses last weekend?
It is certain that Chelsea will be the hot favourites, but then they were in both our League games last season, but we ended up doing the Double over our neighbours.
Let’s hope we can shock them once again on Sunday….
Lets hope we can!
It now appears that all our concerns about Auba and Laca were true. Runarsson and Willian joined them in testing positive for Covid
An intriguing story at the time …
SueP- I am just not convinced at all by this.
If it was Covid the two players had ( by two I mean Aubamayang and Lacazette) why the need for secrecy? Why try to camouflage something that is globally recognised as anyone could be infected?
There is more to this I’m sure
I agree with your logical skepticism Phil…it’s clear that even those who scoffed at supporters, like myself, who saw this as a serious red flag moment, must still have some reservations or they would be screaming “I told you so” from the rooftops…I can’t help but feel that this story has another chapter that will be revealed at some future date
I read an article Wright’s fear of Chelsea’s lukaku. Describing him as an animal groomed at the Jurassic park, waiting 2 be unleashed against Arsenal. I think Ian is a coward with his comments as a proof. Arsenal’s worst result on Sunday will be a draw, remember I told u first.
Lukaku cannot be underestimated for what he has proved in the game over the years. That said, I hope MA has devised a plan to nullify the Chelsea attack. I feel we should go in for a 3-4-3 system, giving us defensive solidity and allowing our full backs in Tierney and Cedric to attack in fruitful moments.
I think Chelsea is still a team in the making. Their 3 last games were not very convincing -Preseason against Arsenal 2-1, Super Cup against Villareal 0-0, won on penalties after Moreno’s superb effort, and Villarreal almost won it towards the end with some dashing moves.
Then, their game against Patrick Viera’s Crystal Palace, 3-0, because of Crystal Palace’s lack of cutting edge in the final third.
If they play like that against Liverpool, they would go back empty.
However, if our own front line can click on Sunday, starting Auba, Pepe and Bukayo (Martinelli in the second half), the combination of Odegaard and Smith-Rowe would prove a handful for Chelsea at the Emirates.