Chelsea face off against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on matchday 28 of the Premier League on Sunday, March 16th, at 1:30pm local time as Enzo Maresca looks to guide them to their first win over the Gunners in seven matches. Mikel Arteta has had the Blues’ number in recent times but with four wins on the trot, they will hope to pick up a vital result away from home.
The next 10 fixtures are important to Chelsea with UEFA Champions League qualification also in mind, and while a win over Arsenal might not push them higher up the league standings, they would remain fourth and firmly in contention for a berth in the European Cup. That said, here is a look at how the team is likely to line-up for the London derby.
Goalkeeper – Robert Sanchez is set to replace Filip Jorgensen between the sticks with Enzo Maresca confirming the same in his pre-match press conference.
Defenders – The entire backline which featured in the game against Copenhagen in the UEFA Europa Conference League might be switched around. Reece James could return to the team to play at right back, while Marc Cucurella is expected to play on the left side of the back four.
Levi Colwill and Wesley Fofana are expected to be fully fit, with the latter having won a race against time after a hamstring issue at the start of the year. They are both likely to feature in the heart of defence.
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Nkunku and Palmer start
Midfielders – Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo played in the double pivot in midfield in Thursday’s game against Copenhagen and are likely to keep their spots in the team for Sunday’s clash too. Meanwhile, Cole Palmer could return and feature as the number 10.
Christopher Nkunku, who has 14 goals and five assists this season, is expected to play on the left wing on paper, while Jadon Sancho could start on the right.
Striker – Pedro Neto could be the striker on paper although him, Nkunku and Sancho will be fluid in attack and frequently change positions.
Here is how the Blues may look on paper.
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