Chelsea Vs Arsenal: 3 Key Battles That Will Decide The Game

Chelsea will be taking on Arsenal on Saturday in what promises to be a key fixture that is likely to have a big bearing on the outcome of the Premier League title race. Here are three key battles that are likely to decide the outcome of the game.

Schurrle vs Gibbs/Monreal

Left back has been one of the problem areas of the Arsenal defense and it has been one area which Arsene Wenger has been unable to sort out all season. Keiran Gibbs, Nacho Monreal and Thomas Vermaelen have all featured at left back but none of them have put in a really confident showing when it comes to defending against big teams. They have been decent going forward, but when it comes to the defensive side of the game, Arsenal’s left side is a liability.

It was their Achilles heel in the encounters against Bayern and Chelsea will look to exploit this weakness once again against the Gunners. With Willian suspended due to the second yellow card that he saw against Aston Villa, Andre Schurrle is likely to start on the right and his pace and trickery will be a difficult threat for Gibbs/Monreal to contend with. Wenger and his men have to make sure that they sit tight on that side of the pitch.

Cazorla vs Matic

The midfield battle is going to be crucial to the result of the outcome. Mourinho’s tactics marked Yaya Toure out of the game against Manchester City and he is likely to employ similar tactics against Arsenal. Nemanja Matic will once again be tasked with a similar role of shackling Arsenal’s midfield creators, mainly Santi Cazorla.

Cazorla has moved back into a more central role since the injury to Mesut Ozil and without the responsibility of tracking back and helping out the left back, Cazorla will have more chance to influence the game in dangerous areas. The winner of the battle between Cazorla and Matic is likely to decide the outcome of the game.

Hazard & Oscar vs Arteta & Flamini

Chelsea is dependent on their attacking midfielders for much of the offensive output this season, and Hazard and Oscar have been two of their highest scorers. They have not only been the main source of creativity but also the main source of goals, and as the performance against Aston Villa suggested, if they can be stopped, Chelsea can be kept at bay.

The two men who are likely to be entrusted with that duty are Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini who will be tasked with the role of shackling Hazard and Oscar. They will have to put in a good performance and ensure that they do not get caught out too often or it could be detrimental to Arsenal’s cause.