Arsenal vs Chelsea Preview: Team News, Injury News, Match Facts And Prediction

Arsenal vs. Chelsea
Monday, December 23, 2013
Kickoff: 3 PM EST, Emirates Stadium, London

Arsenal vs Chelsea Preview

Probably the match of the season so far. Two most consistent teams of this season – Chelsea and Arsenal go head to head at Emirates later tonight.

Team news & Injury Update

Influential French defender Laurent koscielny is out of the game with the horrible injury he had sustained during a defeat at Etihad. Thomas Vermalen will be his instant replacement. Jack Wilshere is set to serve his first of two match ban due to his misbehavior on the pitch. Only Positive news is German forward Lukaz Podolski is back in the squad and may feature in bench.

Meanwhile the vistors don’t have any such big injury crisis. Azpilicueta will start ahead of out of form Ashley Cole. Juan Mata who normally plays so well against the gunners is expected to start tonight.

Possible LineUps :

Arsenal : Szczesny ; Gibbs , Vermalen , Mertsacker , Sagna ; Arteta/Flamini , Ramsey ; Cazorla , Özil , Walcott ; Giroud.

Chelsea : Cech ; Azpilicueta , Terry , Cahill , Ivanovic ; Mikel , Ramires ; Hazard , Oscar , Mata ; Torres.

Match Facts

• Chelsea have won eight and lost just two of the last 11 meetings with Arsenal in all competitions.
• Jose Mourinho has never lost against Arsene Wenger as an opposition manager (W5 D4 L0).
• Arsenal have not gone three Premier League fixtures without a win since January 2013; the third of those games was against Chelsea.
• The Gunners have conceded as many goals in their last two Premier League games (7) as they had in the previous 13.
• Theo Walcott scored his first ever Arsenal goal against Chelsea in the 2007 Carling Cup final and has since netted in three Premier League games against the Blues.

Match Facts courtesy : Yahoo Sport

Form (league) :

Arsenal : W W W D L

Chelsea : W W W L W

Prediction

A real tough game to predict. Recent history says Chelsea have the upper hand in this particular fixture but containing Arsenal at Emirates is not an easy job by any means. With Jose’s careful tactics, it’s tough to see the blues lose this game anyway.

Arsenal 2 – 2 Chelsea