After three defeats on the bounce, the Gunners have got to show what they’re made of when they make the short trip to Stamford Bridge. Defeats to Crystal Palace, Brighton and Southampton threaten to ruin some great things the team has done in the past couple of months. A reaction is needed.Chelsea need one of their best men at disposal to close off the seasonThey come into this midweek’s round of league matches three points adrift of rivals Tottenham in fourth, albeit having played one fewer game. This means that they can’t afford any more slip-ups, but Stamford Bridge has rarely been a happy hunting ground for the Gunners, who have managed just one win there across their last ten visits.Since their 3-1 home defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final, the Blues have responded well, with a 6-0 Premier League triumph over Southampton, a 3-2 win at the Bernabeu and a 2-0 FA Cup semi-final victory over Crystal Palace. Champions League football for next season has not yet mathematically been secured, and Chelsea will be highly motivated for the visit of their north London rivals.Rio Ferdinand on tomorrows game between Chelsea & Arsenal. pic.twitter.com/YqUc0Om2Ai— Frank Khalid (@FrankKhalidUK) April 19, 2022 That is why an Arsenal victory would be considered a shock but not an unthinkable one. Last season, the Gunners celebrated a win away at the Blues despite being pinned back for nearly 90 minutes. That time, they showed resilience and character. It’s what will be required from Mikel Arteta’s team once more.These games excite and draw the biggest crowds in London, but it will be different tonight. The Blues cannot sell match tickets because of sanctions placed on the club’s Russian owner Roman Abramovich last month following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. That means only 25,000 season ticket holders will attend Wednesday’s game in a stadium that holds more than 40,000. It will be a strange atmosphere, but the points at stake remain just as important.Considering the rivalry with Arsenal, I still can’t believe that Cesc Fabregas played for Chelsea. He even said “my time at Chelsea was probably the best decision of my career.”2x PL titles, 1x FA Cup, 1x League Cup and a Europa League trophy – I think he’s right.Magic 🎩 pic.twitter.com/XBZAbej19s— Harry (@HarryCFC170) April 19, 2022 Ruben Loftus-Cheek grabbed the headlines for Chelsea with an excellent performance against Crystal Palace at Wembley. The versatile 26-year-old has performed consistently well in recent weeks and may start in midfield in Mateo Kovavic’s absence with an ankle injury. Ben Chilwell and Callum Hudson-Odoi should be the only others to miss out.Arteta will have to wait on the availability of Alexandre Lacazette with Takehiro Tomiyasu also a doubt. Regular left-back Kieran Tierney is out along with midfielder Thomas Partey.PREMIER LEAGUERearranged matchesTuesdayLiverpool – Man.Utd 4-0 (2-0)/Diaz 5, Salah 22, 85, Mane 68/Wednesday21:45: (2.45) Everton (3.35) Leicester (3.20)21:45: (1.99) Chelsea (3.50) Arsenal (4.40)21:45: (2.45) Newcastle (3.20) Crystal Palace (3.35)22:00: (1.25) Man.City (7.00) Brighton (14.0)Thursday21:45: (2.85) Burnley (3.25) Southampton (2.75)***odds are subject to change***
