Home> News PRE-MATCH BRIEFING: CHELSEA V ARSENAL - PART TWO 22-03-2014 Club historian Rick Glanvill and club statistician Paul Dutton complete their build-up as London rivals get the top-flight programme underway… WE HAVE HISTORY Chelsea are looking to extend our unbeaten run against Arsenal to six games in two and a half years. Chelsea have played more competitive games against Arsenal than any other team. Arsenal have won four of the last 25 meetings with Chelsea in all competitions over the last 10 years. The Gunners are trophyless for nine years since they defeated Manchester United on penalties in the 2005 FA Cup final. In the same period Chelsea have won two Premier Leagues, one Champions League, one Europa League, four FA Cups, one League Cup and two Community Shields. No visiting team has won as many times at the Emirates Stadium as Chelseas three, most recently the 3-1 Capital One Cup victory this season, and in a previous era Chelsea were the only team to beat Arsenal in 1990/91 season. That was on 2 February when former Blue George Grahams 1-0 team made the trip across to west London, unbeaten in their last 23 league games. Chelsea had beaten Spurs 3-0 in the League Cup at the Lane in midweek but were only just above mid-table in a First Division led by the Gunners. A crowd of 29,000 applauded derby veterans Ted Drake, Roy Bentley, Denis Compton, Reg Lewis and Bobby Tambling before kick-off, then saw more capital punishment meted out on our rivals. Manager Bobby Campbells preference for Gareth Hall at right-back was limiting Steve Clarkes starts, but the Scot had stepped in for Jason Cundy to partner Kenny Monkou in central defence and had a fine game. Hall had to contend with in-form winger Anders Limpar and did a fine job, Arsenals only real chance in the first half coming when Perry Groves burst through on goal but was brilliantly thwarted by Dave Beasant. With Dennis Wise starting to look a Chelsea player and Andy Townsend, the current ITV pundit, spreading play well from midfield, Chelsea were brighter and showed more endeavour. Hall even managed to slip his day job and surge through in a rare attacking moment for the defender, but looped his shot straight at David Seaman. Limpar was subbed. Steve Bould, now on the London Colney coaching staff, limped out of the game at half-time - leaving Grahams squad down to its last six centre-backs. One of them, Colin Pates, had graced Stamford Bridge many times but was not selected for the squad. Tony Adams was at Her Majestys Pleasure in Chelmsford Prison. Instead midfielder David Hillier stepped into the heart of the defence. A few years later Hillier would be found guilty of stealing a suitcase from an airport but his performance in the second half was also indictable. Graham Bobby Stuart (pictured below), in at centre-forward for the suspended Gordon Durie, and fellow Blues youth scheme graduate Damian Matthew were particularly impressive in the final third. Stuart nearly opened the scoring from a Graeme Le Saux cut-back but Seaman saved well. He had better fortune halfway through the second half when Dixon flicked on Halls long free-kick and Nigel Winterburn, pressed by Wise, misplaced his nod away. Stuart rose to head expertly past Seaman from eight yards. Urged on, the Blues pressed for a second and Wise connected with Dixons whipped cross but could not direct it on goal. As the clock ran down Stuart played the pass of the game from the left to his young teammate Matthew inside the box. Matthew left Hillier for dead, drew Seaman and cleverly slipped square to unmarked Kerry Dixon , who scored with ease. Hillier played the Chelsea striker onside. In injury time Alan Smith, now of Sky Sports, broke into the box and beat Beasant to dignify the scoreline. Arsenal had not won at Stamford Bridge for 17 seasons and Chelsea had registered their only defeat of the campaign. The Gunners last beat us in October 2011 when they won 5-3 at Stamford Bridge including a hat-trick from Robin van Persie. Andre Villas-Boas was Chelsea manager. The Gunners have won seven away Premier League games at Stamford Bridge, more than any other club. Our last 10 league meetings at Stamford Bridge 2003/04 - Arsenal won 2-1 2004/05 - Drew 0-0 2005/06 - Chelsea won 1-0 2006/07 - Drew 1-1 2007/08 - Chelsea won 2-1 2008/09 - Arsenal won 2-1 2009/10 - Chelsea won 2-0 2010/11 - Chelsea won 2-0 2011/12 - Arsenal won 5-3 2012/13 - Chelsea won 2-1 Other matches this season 29 October 2013 Capital One Cup fourth round Arsenal………..…….0 Chelsea…..……….….2 Azpilicueta 25 Mata 65 Att: 59,455 23 December 2013 Barclays Premier League Arsenal….….……..…..0 Chelsea………..……0 Att: 60,039 Chelsea v Arsenal in all competitions Games played 181 Chelsea wins 57 Arsenal wins 71 Draws 53 Head to head in the League at Stamford Bridge Games played 76 Chelsea wins 26 Arsenal wins 25 Draws 25 Biggest league win at Stamford Bridge for each team 27/09/1969 - Chelsea 3-0 Arsenal 29/11/1930 - Chelsea 1-5 Arsenal DAYS SINCE Chelsea lost to Arsenal: 875 Arsenal won a trophy: 3,227 Liverpool won the league: 8,722 TACTICAL BRIEF Arsene Wenger was mocked for his suggestion finishing fourth was a trophy in itself, but Arsenals regular high place in the injury list table is less acceptable and he pledged to review medical and training approaches at the club. Mesut Ozil (hamstring) and Ryo Miyaichi (ankle ligament) joined Jack Wilshere (broken foot) as the latest casualties, while Theo Walcott, Aaron Ramsey and Abou Diaby remain long-term absentees. Tomas Rosicky will have a fitness test on an ankle. Chelseas main problems arise from decisions made by referee Chris Foy last weekend, the second yellow for Willian being the contentious one. The Brazilian serves a one-game ban today while for his compatriot, Ramires , who deservedly saw red late in the same game, this is the first of three. Nemanja Matic and Mohamed Salah return after their Champions League ineligibility. Matics physical presence will always come in handy against the Gunners, who are not the most powerfully built of sides. Frank Lampard , outstanding in the comfortable defeat of Galatasaray, may make way for David Luiz to return from injury to partner the Serbian in what could be the crucial battleground of the match. Willian s speed and nimble footwork will be especially missed against an Arsenal side that always try to get off to a flying start - the early strike by Rosicky at White Hart Lane last Sunday being a prime example. The Gunners were less impressive as an attacking force after that, with passes increasingly going astray, but demonstrated the greater defensive resolve that has served them well this campaign. However, there are still weaknesses in their set-up, especially in defensive midfield and in wide areas at the back. In some ways Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has thrived in a deeper midfield role, his surging runs changing the shape of play and creating openings in the final third. That has taken on greater significance in the absence of Theo Walcotts pace and Aaron Ramseys Lampard-like willingness to get behind defences. Arsenals other attacking midfielders, such as Rosicky or Santiago Cazorla prefer to play in front of the opposition defence, looking for short probing passes or shots from the edge of the box. Lukas Podolski is probably the most goal-aware of Wengers options in that area. Ahead of them Olivier Giroud has been a decent leader of the line but does not have the pace or elusiveness to worry defences in that way. He also looked fatigued against Spurs, losing control and misplacing passes. Whether Oxlade-Chamberlain has the tactical discipline to complete the remainder of his new central midfield role is another matter. His partner there, Mikel Arteta, is more of an anchor but will have his work cut out dealing with whoever is in the trio behind Chelseas striker. Chelsea were guilty of being caught offside seven times at Villa Park, meaning seven promising attacks were ended prematurely and avoidably. (The Blues have the leagues worst record with 86 calls.) Arsenals regular central defensive pair of Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny have been very solid this season but the former can on occasions be sluggish and is not the best tackler, while his partner sometimes drifts out of position and is inclined to occasional lapses. It could be a day for the stealth of Sammy Etoo rather than the physical presence of Demba Ba or Fernando Torres , who is still finding form after his recent lay-off. With Hazard in devastating form and Oscar on Tuesday playing his way back to the level of early season, perhaps the one vacant position in the front four will go to Andre Schurrle , a substitute for Eden Hazard in the league game at Emirates in late December. Schurrle would be deputed to help ensure the attacking threat of full-backs Kieran Gibbs and Bacary Sagna is minimised, as well as to exploit their absence if they do. This was a fruitful area for Spurs in the derby last weekend, but the Lilywhites could not convert their chances. In chasing back, Arsenals full-backs and defensive midfielders are liable to concede fouls. Hazards ingenuity and dribbling are remarkable and he has Instagrammed his ripped socks to show the kind of illegal attention opponents are giving the most fouled player in the top flight. It is worth noting that Arsenals excellent away form this season has dipped in the last few weeks while Chelseas domestic resilience has endured. Only Man City (with 16) have scored more late goals in the Premier League than Chelseas 15. - Click for details of live audio commentary of the game.
Posted on: Sat, 22 Mar 2014 07:11:48 +0000
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