The champions are crumbling. Chelsea’s catastrophic start to the season continued after suffering a disastrous 3-1 away loss at Everton. The Blues won’t be safe as they return home either, as they host an Arsenal team that has been tough to break down in recent weeks.
Chelsea legend Petr Cech makes his return to Stamford Bridge after being sold last summer. Will he help the Gunners to a big home win over his old club?
Line: Chelsea +129 vs. Arsenal +176, tie +221; total 2.5 – view all EPL lines
Betting on Chelsea
[sc:Soccer240banner ]Chelsea are officially in crisis. After another stunning 3-1 loss away to Everton, the champions are now just one spot above the relegation zone in 17th, with a win, a draw and three defeats through their first five games. The Blues also sport the worst defensive record in the entire league, shipping in 12 goals thus far.
However, Chelsea did manage to gain some much-needed confidence after a 4-0 home win over Maccabi Tel-Aviv in the Champions League.
Manager Jose Mourinho made some significant defensive changes in that game, as he replaced struggling right-back Branislav Ivanovic and captain John Terry in favor of the younger and faster pair of Baba Rahman and Kurt Zouma.
It remains to be seen whether those moves were just to give his veterans a rest or to prepare both for the start in the game against Arsenal, but don’t be surprised if either/both do feature. Despite their inexperience, Zouma and Rahman have the speed required to keep up with the Gunners’ lightning quick attackers, while Ivanovic and Terry do not.
Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas – the team’s top goalscorer and playmaker, respectively – both got on the score sheet against Maccabi, which should help them get back on track after having very slow starts to the season. However, Pedro and Willian are both ruled out, which will limit Mourinho’s attacking options on the wing opposite Eden Hazard.
Mourinho lost to Arsene Wenger in the Community Shield earlier in the season. But prior to that loss, the Special One had gone 13 matches undefeated as Chelsea boss against Arsene’s Arsenal (seven wins, six draws).
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Betting on Arsenal
Arsenal didn’t have the greatest build-up to their big match with Chelsea, as they crashed to a 2-1 away defeat to Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League. Olivier Giroud was sent off before half-time for the Gunners, who lost their second match of the season.
They lost their season-opening Premier League match 2-0 to West Ham, but have since gone on a four match unbeaten run (three wins and a draw against Liverpool) in the league to vault up to fourth in the table.
Arsenal are known more for their terrific talent going forward, but have actually leaned on their defense thus far this season. After conceding three goals in his first two games, Petr Cech has kept three consecutive clean sheets in the Gunners’ goal.
That much-improved defense should prove to be quite useful for their trip to Stamford Bridge, where they have conceded at least two goals in each of their last six visits. Cech, in particular, should be in inspired form as he plays his first game back at his old stomping ground after leaving in the summer.
While Arsenal’s trademark attack has not (yet) been firing on all cylinders, they will fortunately face a Chelsea defense that has looked at its most vulnerable in Mourinho’s tenure.
The Gunners’ world class attacking options – Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil, Santi Cazorla, and Theo Walcott (four goals in his last three games for club and country) – should be more than capable of producing decent chances against a bumbling Blues defense which will either be starting struggling stalwarts or inexperienced youngsters.
Since the New Year, Arsenal have had a terrific record against the other three teams included in the so-called “Big Four” (City, Man United, Liverpool). They are undefeated in their last five meetings against such teams, and struck big wins at City (2-0) and at home against Liverpool (4-1) last season. They have also conceded just three goals in those five games.
Writer’s Prediction
Arsenal’s defense is breached, but it manages to strike back and hold on to a hard-fought draw (+221).
