Arsenal v Chelsea; top six comparisons and the growing injury list

 By Bulldog Drummond

As we often do with these games, we can have a look at the results Chelsea and Arsenal have had in playing matches against each other and against Tottenham, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United.

Here to start us off are Chelsea’s games…

Date Match Result Score Competition
06 Aug 2017 Arsenal v Chelsea L 1-1 (4-1) Community Shield
20 Aug 2017 Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea W 1-2 Premier League
17 Sep 2017 Chelsea v Arsenal D 0-0 Premier League
30 Sep 2017 Chelsea v Manchester City L 0-1 Premier League
05 Nov 2017 Chelsea v Manchester United W 1-0 Premier League
25 Nov 2017 Liverpool v Chelsea D 1-1 Premier League

So Chelsea have played six, won two, drawn two, lost two.  Obviously if we take the Community Shield game out their record improves slightly to two wins, two draws, one defeat.

Arsenal against top six clubs reads

Date Match Result Score Competition
06 Aug 2017 Arsenal v Chelsea W 1-1 (4-1) Community Shield
27 Aug 2017 Liverpool v Arsenal L 4-0 Premier League
17 Sep 2017 Chelsea v Arsenal D 0-0 Premier League
05 Nov 2017 Manchester City v Arsenal L 3-1 Premier League
18 Nov 2017 Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur W 2-0 Premier League
02 Dec 2017 Arsenal v Manchester United L 1-3 Premier League
22 Dec 2017 Arsenal v Liverpool D 3-3 Premier League

Played seven, won two, drawn two, lost three.  Chelsea, having played one fewer game, slightly have the edge, and as noted above the including the Community Shield game does help Arsenal.  Without that the results of won one, drawn, two, lost three are not so encouraging.

What is interesting in looking at these results is how imbalanced they are in terms of home and away – Chelsea got a run of three top six matches at home over a seven week period from September to early November, while Arsenal got a run of three away games early in the same period against Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City.  Of course they all even up in the end, but it seems a curious way of arranging matches.

The games against Chelsea overall have been evenly balanced of late.  Here are the results over a three year period from October 2014 to September 2017…

05 Oct 2014 Chelsea v Arsenal L 2-0 Premier League
26 Apr 2015 Arsenal v Chelsea D 0-0 Premier League
02 Aug 2015 Arsenal v Chelsea W 1-0 FA Community Shield
19 Sep 2015 Chelsea v Arsenal L 2-0 Premier League
24 Jan 2016 Arsenal v Chelsea L 0-1 Premier League
24 Sep 2016 Arsenal v Chelsea W 3-0 Premier League
04 Feb 2017 Chelsea v Arsenal L 3-1 Premier League
27 May 2017 Arsenal v Chelsea W 2-1 FA Cup
06 Aug 2017 Arsenal v Chelsea W 1-1 FA Community Shield
17 Sep 2017 Chelsea v Arsenal D 0-0 Premier League

The last ten games in all competitions have given Arsenal four wins, Chelsea four wins and there have been two draws but here that does include the Community Shield matches and an FA Cup game.

On the injury front things don’t look too good…  Here is the regular physioroom chart

Man down What’s wrong When’s he back What about today?
S Kolasinac Ankle Injury January 14, 2018 No
L Koscielny Achilles Injury January 3, 2018 Late Fitness Test
M Ozil Knee Injury January 3, 2018 Late Fitness Test
N Monreal Ankle Injury January 20, 2018 No
O Giroud Hamstring Injury January 14, 2018 No
A Ramsey Hamstring Injury January 10, 2018 No
S Cazorla Plantaris Injury No Return Date No

I’m fed up saying that Santi shouldn’t be on the list because he is not listed in our 25 man squad, so I won’t say it any more.  Oh.  I just did.

Chelsea have but two men out, and both are certainly out for this game: Musdona who has a groin strain and Luiz who has a knee injury.

Mr Wenger’s comment was that ‘We lost Kolasinac, Koscielny in the game (at West Bromwich Albion). ‘The two who have a little chance… Ozil might have a test this morning. Koscielny is 30-70 available.

And yes there is a big big big transfer story in the offing.   It is in the Daily Cannon and has the headline “Arsenal deal expected to be completed today.”  And the story is “Charlton Athletic are reportedly set to sign Stephy Mavididi on loan again.”  And later “Mavididi is allegedly set to embark on his second loan move to Charlton today (Tuesday).”  And where does that allegation come from?  Why, that other major source, LondonNewsOnLine.

Now we know.

Up next, the teams.

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3 Replies to “Arsenal v Chelsea; top six comparisons and the growing injury list”

  1. Looks bad with our injuries, but maybe, just maybe we may see one or two youth stars tonight?
    Anyway, expectations are not great considering, but maybe, just maybe we will do it.

  2. It won’t happen because he is far from fit but in theory Cazorla could play in tonight’s game

  3. The believes among some of us the Gooners is not maybe Arsenal will do it tonight. But they have to do it and will do it firmly. For, the Gunners have no any other choice of option that is acceptable by us to choose from other than the only victory option of doing it to get a win over the Blues tonight at the Ems.

    The intrigue beclouding this match are the FA charging of Le Boss for ungentlemanly behaviour charge in the last Arsenal away match to WBA in the PL. And misconduct charge for questioning Mike Dean’s match referring integrity in the PL. But if the FA deemed if so fit to charge Le Boss with such charges, the question which begs to put before the FA for answer is why didn’t the same FA charge Mike Dean for bringing the game to confusion for failing to make a penalty call correctly? If the FA hierarchies that accepted if referee Mike Dean had seen the handling incident properly, he will likely not have erred to give the penalty he gave to WBA are to be taken seriously in their sense of judgements charge.

    I want to beseech the starting XI and on the bench 7 Gunners for this Chelsea match tonight not to allow the FA charging of Le Boss and the setback in points collection which they suffered from the WBA match bad officiating by referee Mike Dean to affect them mentally but be mentally strong than ever in their game against Chelsea and put them to the sword absolutely in the game tonight.

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