Arsenal vs. Chelsea: Match Review

Arsenal stayed at the top of the Premier League after defeating Chelsea 1-0 at the Emirates.

The Premier League return of Cesc Fabregas, Alex Hleb, Mathieu Flamini, and Robin van Persie saw a dynamic Arsenal team boss possession in the high tension game which saw 10 yellow cards awarded. The Blues put up a good fight, but a mistake from Chelsea keeper Petr Cech led to the only goal of the match in first-half stoppage time.

Lineups:
Arsenal: Manuel Almunia; Bacary Sagna, Kolo Toure, William Gallas, Gael Clichy; Emmanuel Eboue, Tomas Rosicky, Mathieu Flamini, Cesc Fabregas, Alex Hleb; Emmanuel Adebayor

Chelsea: Petr Cech; Paolo Ferreira, John Terry, Alex, Ashley Cole; Mikel John Obi, Claude Makelele, Frank Lampard, Shaun Wright-Phillips; Joe Cole, Andriy Shevchenko

Arsenal started with a 4-5-1 formation, with Alex Hleb playing just off of lone striker Emmanuel Adebayor as a not-yet-match-fit Robin van Persie watched from the bench until the 70th minute.

Chelsea, unlike the Gunners, were missing top scorer Didier Drogba and fellow African Michael Essien, and therefore played with Joe Cole partnering Andriy Shevchenko in an offensive 4-4-2 which Avram Grant had hoped would bring some beautiful flowing football to Chelsea's game.

The first quarter of an hour was frenetic, as both teams maniacally attempted to draw first blood. However, Arsenal's best chance came from a Chelsea player.

Emmanuel Adebayor pressured defender Alex into heading the ball towards Petr Cech, but the Brazilian's header was far too high for the keeper. Chelsea fans breathed a sigh of relief when the ball fell wide, but the chance suggested that the encounter could just as likely be won on a mistake as a moment of brilliance.

A deflected shot from Shaun Wright-Phillips found Manuel Almunia forced into a tight spot minutes later, but a diving save just about summed up the Arsenal keeper's night: brilliant.

Arsenal were beginning to find their passing form, but did little to trouble Petr Cech, only coming close through a free kick from Cesc Fabregas that flew over the bar.

Almunia on the other hand was being constantly tested, and did well to deny a long-range drive from Andriy Shevchenko.

The game began to change after John Terry limped off to be replaced by Tal Ben-Haim following a tackle from Emmanuel Eboue.

On the stroke of half-time former Chelsea defender William Gallas scored the winner. A flailing arm from Petr Cech completely missed the ball, and the Arsenal captain calmly headed the loose ball home, giving Arsenal a lead going into the second half. The keeping mistake looked more characteristic of Paul Robinson than Petr Cech.

Chelsea came out strongly in the second half, but their overly offense only invited lightning-fast counterattacks from the young Gunners.

Almunia once again made a fabulous save as a shot from Mikel John Obi flew towards the corner of the net.

It was then Arsenal's turn for an injury as Emmanuel Eboue was stretchered off after a nasty tackle from Joe Cole. Robin van Persie's entrance made an immediate impact.

After placing a teasing cross across the face of goal, and then stinging Petr Cech's hands, van Persie missed a brilliant chance following some good work from Tomas Rosicky, Emmanuel Adebayor and Alex Hleb.

The Duthchman then found the back of the net, but had his goal ruled out for an offsides on Rosicky during the buildup.

As Arsenal began to look the stronger side again, Petr Cech made up for his previous error by making a fabulous double save when Cesc Fabregas had looked sure to score.

Emmanuel Adebayor than found the back of the net, but once again had a goal ruled out after having been harshly adjudged to have fouled his marker.

Arsenal fans were relieved when Almunia made yet another amazing save, this time from a Shevchenko free-kick, but were then disappointed as Cesc Fabregas missed a simple chance after being set up by substitute Nicklas Bendtner.

It didn't matter though, as the final whistle blew second later, ending a tense second half which kept Arsenal at the top of the Premiership, and once again proved that the Gunners can contend for the crown.

Arsenal vs. Chelsea: Match Preview

Avram Grant's Chelsea travel to the Emirates to face cross-town rivals Arsenal this Sunday. The day's fixtures, which also see Manchester United face off against Liverpool, could very well decide which team is at the top of the table at the halfway point of the season.

Arsenal are in a bit of a rough patch of form right now, but a win over Steaua Bucharest in the midweek, in conjunction with the return of Abou Diaby and Robin van Persie, will ensure that the Gunners are confident coming in to this match.

The opposite is true of Chelsea. The Blues have won four of their last five Premier League matches, but an injury to last season's top scorer Didier Drogba, and a poor home draw against Valencia on Tuesday won't be doing much to boost morale over at the Stamford Bridge.

Both teams could see many players return from injury for the big London derby though, with Petr Cech, Florent Malouda, Ricardo Carvalho, and Paulo Ferreira all back in contention for the Blues. Didier Drogba will be sorely missed though, regardless of other players coming back.

Arsenal's van Persie and Diaby both came back into action in the midweek, and the squad could be further boosted by Cesc Fabregas, Alex Hleb, and Mathieu Flamini, all of whom Arsene Wenger could be willing to gamble on.

After resting some key players on Wednesday, Arsene Wenger will field a rejuvenated full-strength squad against Chelsea.

Manuel Almunia is likely to return in goal, after Jens Lehmann had a decent, but not spectacular, game against Steaua Bucharest.

In front of the Spaniard, Bacary Sagna, Kolo Toure, William Gallas, and Gael Clichy look set to deal with the blunted front line of Chelsea. They will still have their hands full in spite of Drogba's absence, as their London rivals can rely on Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, Anriy Shevchenko and many more of their players for goals.

If all three of Arsenal's midfielders are judged to be fit for the match Arsene Wenger's most likely lineup would include Tomas Rosicky, Cesc Fabregas, Mathieu Flamini and Alex Hleb. However, Abou Diaby will most likely feature if Fabregas or Hleb are out, although Neves Denilson could also see some time in the place of Fabregas. Either Gilberto or Lassana Diarra could deputize for Flamini.

Up front Arsenal will see their first-choice strikers in action together for the first time in months. Emmanuel Adebayor, who is currently tied with Cristiano Ronaldo as the Premier League's top scorer, will be especially dangerous in combination with the incredible Robin van Persie.

The two will have trouble breaking down a tough Chelsea defense though, but hopefully some spirited jeering will steer former Gunner Ashley Cole off-course. If Hleb and Fabregas are fit, our strikers should also be able to latch on to a large number of defense splitting passes.

Arsenal are in for a real challenge, but Chelsea are far less potent without Drogba, and I think the Gunners can win this one 2-1 to stay at the top of the Premiership regardless of other results.

Faltering Arsenal Need van Persie To Shine Against Chelsea

Arsenal went 21 games unbeaten this season before finally losing 3-1 to Sevilla at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. The Gunners’ fine run of form included draws with both Manchester United and Liverpool, and victories over Sevilla and arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

However, Arsene Wenger’s young squad have only managed to pick up four points in their last three Premier League matches since losing top spot in Group H of the Champions League to the Sevillistas.

The loss to Middlesbrough has dampened the Gunners early-season hopes of winning the title and brought the depth of the Arsenal squad into question. It seems that Arsenal will need some impetus to get back to their winning ways.

That impetus could be the return of Robin van Persie.

The news of his return has rejuvenated Arsenal fans, who believe that the Dutch striker could be what Arsenal need to get back to the top of their game.

Although Emmanuel Adebayor is the Premier League’s joint top scorer this season, along with Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo, the big Togolese striker has, at times, looked separated from the team as a lone striker.

Van Persie and Adebayor had been forming a special bond prior to the Dutchman’s injury on international duty, and the lanky African has often stated his desire to play alongside him since the injury.

While Arsenal aren’t exactly short in the goals department having scored more goals than any other team so far this season, Van Persie can bring a lot to the table when Arsenal face Chelsea on Sunday.

While Didier Drogba was last season’s top scorer in the Premier League, his goals-to-games ratio was slightly lower than that of the injury-prone van Persie, who managed to score 11 goals despite starting in only 17 league games. His form continued into the current campaign, seeing him score five times in only seven games before injury struck.

All know about his goal-scoring abilities though. What people often forget is that Van Persie is more of a Dennis Bergkamp-esque player than an out-and-out striker.

The 24 year-old forward follows in the steps of his countryman and former team-mate, adding assists to goals, making him the complete forward. Last season van Persie tallied up seven assists in his 17 Premier League starts, an impressive number.

If you think Arsenal have been in top gear lately, just wait until you see them with a fully fit squad.

Van Persie is the man to watch as Arsenal prepare to face a Drogba-less Chelsea team (the Ivorian underwent knee surgery earlier this week), and could quite possibly be Arsenal’s top scorer this season even in spite of his injury troubles.

Arsenal Can Be Champions Despite Middlesbrough Defeat

Talk of invincibility has been thrown out the window. Gareth Southgate's lowly Middlesbrough have inflicted a first league defeat on Arsene Wenger's Arsenal side.

And so the naysayers once again begin to doubt the young Gunners. Eleven wins, four draws and one defeat place Arsenal a point ahead of last season's champions Manchester United, deservedly at the top of the Premier League table. Why, then, do the so-called pundits, players and fans alike, begin to question the squad?

An Arsenal side missing four of their best players in Cesc Fabregas, Alex Hleb, Robin van Persie and Mathieu Flamini did indeed fall to a team hovering too close to the relegation zone. But look at any of the top four teams and imagine how they would do without four of their best players.

Chelsea would be nothing without Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole and Michael Essien. Manchester United are far less potent without Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes. Even Rafa Benitez's crazy rotation policies couldn't save a Liverpool side without Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano.

Those who claim that Arsenal's loss to Middlesbrough is a portent of bad times to come would do well to remember some of the bad results the Gunners' rivals have been through this season. Only a day before Arsenal lost to Boro, a nearly full-strength Liverpool were defeated 3-1 by struggling Reading, and a Rooney and Ronaldo-less Manchester United were beaten by second-from-bottom Bolton at the Reebok only a few weeks ago.

Although Chelsea's two league defeats have come at the hands of United and Aston Villa, one need only look as far as a 1-1 draw with minnows Rosenborg to see that even Roman Abramovich's money cannot buy safety from injuries.

The Premier League is long and arduous. Just as critics warned Arsenal fans that the first 16 games do not decide the winners, I would like to remind the opposition that while a game may prove to be a turning point in a team's fortunes, it takes a full 38 games to crown the champions.

Arsenal are at the top of the table, and anything could happen over the next 22 games, but I see the Gunners as favourites to lift the Premier League crown when the dust settles. Don't write them off just yet.

Could Carlos Vela be Arsenal's Next Henry?

Arsenal are, without a doubt, one of the offensive powerhouses of English football despite having lost talismanic striker Thierry Henry to Barcelona during the summer.

The Gunners are currently on top of the Premier League and its goalscoring charts, having notched up 27 goals in 12 league matches. Outside of the Premier League, Arsenal have scored 19 goals in seven outings, including a 7-0 drubbing of Slavia Prague at the Emirates.

Arsene Wenger has three quality forwards (Theo Walcott, Eduardo, and Nicklas Bendtner) at his disposal in addition to the impressive first-choice strike force of Robin van Persie and Emmanuel Adebayor. Nonetheless, the Arsenal manager is reportedly bringing young Mexican striker Carlos Vela back from a loan spell at Osasuna this January, now that the youngster has cleared up issues with his work permits.

What could another eighteen year-old possibly add to Arsenal’s game?

To answer that question, let’s look back to the 2003/04 season. Arsenal fans will remember the season as the one in which the Gunners went undefeated in the Premiership, finishing 11 points clear of their nearest rivals, Chelsea. Anyone remember the name of our top scorer?

The great Thierry Henry scored 30 Premier League goals that season. That’s one and a half times as many as Didier Drogba scored last year to win last season’s golden boot. Last season the injury-ridden Frenchman only managed 10 goals, one behind Arsenal’s top-scorer, another injury-plagued player, Robin van Persie.

Now don’t get me wrong, Van Persie is a great player. He has a powerful left foot, and his finishing is excellent. He could feasibly win this season’s golden boot and, at 24, the Dutchman still has quite a future ahead of him.

But can he fill the void left by Henry’s departure? The unfortunate truth is that it’s unlikely.

That’s where Vela comes in. The Mexican wunderkind is one of the most prodigious talents in Europe. Vela won the golden boot and player of the tournament at the U17 World Cup, and has already spent a full season playing first team football, making 31 starts (and scoring eight times) with UD Salamanca in the Spanish Segunda Division. He has also featured twice for the senior Mexican national team, scoring in a 3-2 loss to Guatemala.

Clearly he has quite a pedigree for a youngster. But what makes him stand out from the rest and why might he become the next Henry?

First of all, he has the talent. His intelligence and pace are unrivaled by anyone his age and his first touch, dribbling ability and finishing technique are all excellent. He also has a huge amount of first-team experience for such a young player, which will only add to his usefulness once he arrives in Britain.

What’s most important though, is that he fits right in to the Arsenal mould. His first goal for Osasuna saw the young Mexican play the ball to a teammate before running into space to pick it up again a few yards outside the penalty box. Upon receiving the return pass he seamlessly integrated the ball into his stride, showing excellent close control before finishing with his left foot on the edge of the 18 yard box. The finish was Henry-esque, flying past the keeper into the roof of the net. The way Vela’s qualities were tailor-made to Arsenal was uncanny.

We will have to wait quite a while until we see Vela nail down a first-team spot under Arsene Wenger, and Arsenal will continue scoring goals with the current form of Alex Hleb and Cesc Fabregas complementing our forwards, perhaps eventually winning the Premier League or Champions League.

But when Vela does come of age, which may be sooner than most people think, he might provide 20 or 30 goals a season. And when that rings true, we might have on our hands a repeat of the unthinkable - a second undefeated season.

Juventus want Gallas and Gilberto

Juventus director Alessio Secco has added William Gallas to his already long wishlist of London-based players. Juventus were already reportedly interested in Arsenal's out-of-favor defensive midfielder Gilberto Silva, as well as Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard from cross-town rivals, Chelsea.

The Brazilian captain, at 31 and the French defender, at 30, are the two oldest outfield players in Arsene Wenger's squad. Gilberto is also the longest serving player at Arsenal, having joined the club from Brazilian side Atletico Mineiro for £4.5 million in 2002.

Gilberto's experience is valuable to a side which features a spine of young players including Cesc Fabregas, Gael Clichy, and Mathieu Flamini - Gilberto's replacement. However, the defensive midfielder will find it difficult to stay at Arsenal if he doesn't reclaim his starting berth soon. While he will want to stay at least long enough to win another Premiership title with Arsenal this year, he may be forced away from the club by up-and-coming playerss like Mathieu Flamini and Summer-signing Lassana Diarra. Unfortunately, I can definitely see this transfer materializing, maybe even as soon as this January.

William Gallas, on the other hand, is Arsenal's first choice partner to Kolo Toure at center-back, and with only Philippe Senderos and a host of midfielders competing for the spot, it doesn't look likely that he will soon lose his spot. However, while the French defender has stated that he is happy at the club, he has also made it clear that he will not stay for another season without silverware. While Arsenal are strong title-contenders (topping the league with a game in hand against our nearest rivals) nothing is certain in football, and I do believe the Frenchman would seek a way out if we fail to win anything this season.

Gallas must also be wondering how long he can last under Arsene Wenger. The Arsenal boss shows a clear affinity for young players, and has an inflexible policy of offering only one-year contracts to players over 30 years old. With legends such as Freddy Ljunbgerg, Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, and Robert Pires being allowed to leave the Arsenal captain must be afraid that he will be the next to go, despite the fact that he was signed from Chelsea just last season.

I can't see Gallas' transfer happening any time before the Summer at the earliest, and if he is happy at the club, I would be happy to see him stay for a few more seasons (providing he is able to stay fit).