Chelsea vs Arsenal news: Gunners unlikely to rediscover winning ways at Stamford Bridge
- Michael Graham
- 19 April 2022
Arsenal head across London in desperate need for an uplift in form, but Chelsea will be in no mood to make it easy for them.
Arsenal take their faltering Champions League bid to London rivals Chelsea this week knowing another defeat would leave their fate out of their own hands.
The Gunners have hit a dreadful run of form at exactly the wrong time of the season, which has seen a position of strength in the table turning decidedly worrisome.
Chelsea, meanwhile, have an FA Cup final to look forward to and know just three or four more wins will cement their top four spot, and they will be wanting to wrap that up as quickly as they can with the club facing an uncertain future right now.
When: Wednesday, April 20, 19:45
Where: Stamford Bridge
Where to watch: Sky Sports
Who is the ref for Chelsea vs Arsenal
Jonathan Moss will take charge of this one, assisted by Marc Perry and James Mainwaring. Darren England will be on VAR duty.
The last time he officiated an Arsenal game they came out top, beating Brentford 2-1 back in February.
Moss has not been the man in the middle for a Chelsea game since the opening day of the season when they beat Crystal Palace 3-0 at Stamford Bridge.
Season stats 2021/22: Premier League matches (21), yellows (48), reds (4), penalties (5)
Recent form
Chelsea have had a bit of a rollercoaster in the cups of late, battling Real Madrid over two legs in the Champions League before falling just short, then winning an FA Cup semi-final last week.
In the Premier League their form has been a little patchy, though. In their last two matches in the competition they have lost 4-1 at home to Brentford and won 6-0 away at Southampton.
Things were going pretty splendidly for Arsenal heading into the second half of March.
The Gunners were on a five-match winning streak before it was snapped by Liverpool on March 16. Since then they have picked up just three points and lost their last three matches, the latest of which coming in a 1-0 reverse at Southampton.
Arsenal and Chelsea players in form
Arsenal have absolutely no players in form, and that has been the fundamental problem for them recently.
Chelsea, on the other hand, appear to be able to rely on the ever-improving Mason Mount right now.
The England man has scored four goals in his last three matches in all competitions.
Last three matches
Arsenal 0-2 Chelsea (August 22, 2021)
Chelsea put on an ominously good performance when these two sides met at the start of the season.
Nearly ten years after making his debut for the club, Romelu Lukaku finally scored his first goal for Chelsea.
Reece James added another to make it a relatively comfortable afternoon for the visitors.
Chelsea 0-1 Arsenal (May 12, 2021)
If Arsenal are looking for some inspiration ahead of this one then they need look no further than the corresponding fixture last season.
Things were just starting to look like they were coming together for Mikel Arteta's men and they were good value for their win at Stamford Bridge.
Emile Smith Rowe got the winner, with VAR ruling out a would-be Christian Pulisic equaliser on the hour.
Arsenal 3-1 Chelsea (December 26, 2020)
Arsenal started this one in their lowest league position at Christmas since the 1982-83 season, but they ended it with some festive cheer.
It ended a run of eight games without a win in the Premier League with Alexandre Lacazette, Granit Xhaka and Bukayo Saka bagging the goals.
Tammy Abraham scored the late consolation for Chelsea.
Last ten matches
Chelsea wins: 4
Draws: 3
Arsenal wins: 3
Chelsea scored: 13
Arsenal scored: 14
Managers' thoughts
The game will be played in front of a reduced crowd due to sanctions against Chelsea owner Roman Abramovic, but Thomas Tuchel does not believe that has to hurt his side.
"That is not an advantage because in general we want to play in front of a full stadium, and we want to play in front of spectators.
"Let's turn things around, maybe everyone is aware of that and pushes more. We lack quantity but we shouldn't lack quality.
"Against Leicester last season after Covid, it was like 5,000 and the players said it felt like a full stadium. So hopefully, we can have a spark that can bring everybody into a better mood."
Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta has vowed to give his young players all the support they need as they attempt to arrest their alarming slump in form.
"We are in the same position as we were with one less game," Arteta told the Standard. "We have to play on Wednesday and we have to lift them up.
"The task is big but the opportunity as well is so precious that we all want to do it. [I will] give all the support in the world to them because they need it. They are 19, 20, 21 years old most of them and that is what they need.
"We are who we are, but at the end you have to win the matches and, if you want to be there, that has to be defined in the boxes."
Chelsea vs Arsenal predicted teams
Possible Chelsea starting line-up: Mendy; James, Silva, Rudiger; Azpilicueta, Kante, Jorginho, Alonso; Mount, Werner; Lukaku
Possible Arsenal starting line-up: Ramsdale; Cedric, White, Gabriel, Tavares; Xhaka, Lokonga; Saka, Odegaard, Smith Rowe; Martinelli
Chelsea vs Arsenal prediction
Chelsea have shown some vulnerability at Stamford Bridge of late, but they will surely have enough to swat aside an Arsenal side desperately short of confidence and form. Let's go with 3-1 Chelsea.
