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Today will mark the 175th meeting of Arsenal and Chelsea in one of the most famous derbys in all of football and I am very excited for what should be a superb match. Arsenal have fallen on hard times lately, and will be looking to this match to restore the self confidence their side has been sorely lacking. Their display against Manchester United was tepid and fearful at best, with even Cesc Fabregas admitting fear has plague their game against the cream of the Premier League. Look for them to determine their fate in the first fifteen minutes of the match, if Chelsea get an early goal, or manage to push them around in the middle of the field, be ready for the same sort of performance you saw against Man United.
As for the boys in the blue of the Chelsea jersey, they are also looking to move beyond their terrible form of late. They have missed their first chance to redeem themselves as the weather has delayed their fixture with Manchester United until March, but should still be up for this one. They also have a firm advantage in terms of history, as they seem to annihilate the Gunners every time they meet. The man moat famous for making Arsenal pay for their for their attacking style is Didier Drogba. The Ivorian has scored 13 goals in the last 11 times he faced the Gunners, but his troubles recovering from a bout of malaria have meant he has been out of form. Also, he may be distracted by the political troubles/impending civil war in Ivory Coast. This kind of thing can have a deep effect on a player, when things are bad at home, no matter how good you are, it effects your game, just ask Wayne Rooney or John Terry.
Overall, it should be a good match, with lots of open end to end play. With Fabianski and Diaby returning for Arsenal, and Lampard getting his first start in months, it should be exciting to see both of these full strength teams got at it not just for the win, but for the confidence that comes with it.
I’m predicting Arsenal 0-1 Chelsea
Written by: Matthew Wall, editor, soccerprose.com
I feel sorry for Terry -Chelsea are one of the best teams in the world and the only reason people hate them so much is because they are so much better than any other team they may support. So stop being rotten losers and face the fact that Chelsea are better than you and always will be.