Former Chelsea and Arsenal defender William Gallas says that Mauricio Pochettino’s side could pick up a draw at the Emirates this evening.

Speaking to Lord Ping, Gallas said that, if the Blues can play to the same level that they showed against Manchester City at the weekend, they have a decent chance of grabbing a point:

“It will be Arsenal’s third game in 7 days so physically they will be tired, so it will be important for Arsenal to not go 1-0 down as Chelsea have the ability to play like they did against Manchester City, be very compact in midfield, have a mid-low block and look to counter-attack. I think it will end as a draw.”

While a stalemate may not be ideal in Chelsea’s quest for a top 6 finish, they are facing a title contender away from home, so avoiding defeat would be seen as a good result by most.

As Gallas points out, though, the Gunners will be going into the game having played three times in the space of a week, so Pochettino‘s men could potentially take advantage if their opponents are tired.

Chelsea’s recent record at the Emirates is pretty awful

The Blues last beat Arsenal away from home in August 2021 when Romelu Lukaku and Reece James got on the scoresheet in a 2-0 victory.

In fact, this has been a pretty one-sided London derby in recent years, with that one solitary win three years ago the only one since 2019. The Blues have suffered 6 defeats in their last 8 encounters, with the last result being the 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge back in October.

Pochettino’s side are in relatively good form going into this match but, based on recent performances against the Gunners, they do face an uphill task if they are to end up on the right side of the scoreline.