Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson expects Chelsea and Arsenal to share the spoils when the two sides face off against each other in the London derby this weekend.
Writing in his column for Sportskeeda, Merson says he was impressed with the Blues’ performances before the international break but they will be coming against a “polished” Gunners outfit who are contenders for the Premier League title:
“Arsenal are a polished team. Chelsea are just starting out, and that’s a big disadvantage for them this weekend. Arsenal are a settled unit and they know exactly what they’re doing.”
“Chelsea are a hard team to predict – against teams that come out and play, they can be a major threat. The best game Chelsea have played at home this season was against Liverpool. Chelsea had built up some good momentum before the international break, and a lot depends on how they come back from the break. I’m going to go with a draw here, but if you asked me to get off the fence, I’d pick Arsenal to have the upper hand.”
Merson has gone with a 2-2 draw, which may disappoint a few Blues supporters who may have been expecting a fellow fan to back Mauricio Pochettinio’s side for the victory.
Chelsea’s home form is an issue
Having picked up 4 points from a possible 12 at home, there is clearly room for improvement in terms of the team’s performances at Stamford Bridge.
When you lose on your own turf to the likes of Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa, you can’t expect pundits to make the team favourites for the match against Arsenal.
A number of key players could return
It is believed that captain Reece James (hamstring), Benoit Badiashile (hamstring) and Axel Disasi (thigh) could all be available, while the likes of Cole Palmer (dead leg) and Nicolas Jackson (wrist) are also expected to be in contention.
Although Chelsea’s injury list is still pretty lengthy, some key players should be available to face the Gunners, giving them a better chance of securing a good result.
Watch a recap of Gameweek 8 in the Premier League on Shots! TV here
