Mikel Arteta says Arsenal must be alive to the individual quality in Chelsea’s ranks even if they are languishing in 12th place in the Premier League table and have only pride to play for.
The Blues were widely expected to challenge for the Champions League places when the season began but off-field upheaval has taken a serious toll on morale with Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter sacked against the backdrop of a huge spending spree that has resulted in a bloated squad.
Having picked up just two points in their last six matches, the Stamford Bridge outfit, now coached on an interim basis by Frank Lampard, have been limping towards the Premier League finish line. All the same, Arsenal, who are without a win in four games, know they can’t afford to underestimate their opponents.
“I don’t know what their approach will be,” said Arteta on Monday morning.
“They are really dangerous because when you look at the individuals that they can put on that field, for sure they have huge threats so we need to be aware of that.”
He added: “It is going to be a very different game [from Wednesday’s defeat to City]. It is a London derby and they have something to prove, and we have something to prove.
“The atmosphere is going to be incredible to play in that stadium and we are going to have to be at our best again.”
It’s estimated that Chelsea have spent nearly £500 million on players since the summer transfer window under new owner Todd Boehly.
While the spending spree was initially greeted with wild enthusiasm by Blues supporters, who saw it as a signal of intent following Roman Abramovich’s departure, attempts to blend the new additions with the old guard has not gone well.
“I don’t know, that’s for them to analyse, not for me,” said Arteta when asked what has gone wrong in west London this season.
That said, he did admit that squad building is something of an art.
“I think in our model we have very important things, the first is to have the right people and I think we have the right people.
“Then it is to have the right players that can compete, challenge and understand their role within the team, and you need quality in front of goal great and physicality – you need a lot of things in this game to do that.
“It is extremely difficult to find that thin balance with the players because in recruiting you can have the best intentions but then the player has to come here, fit in and get that chemistry with the manager, teammates, staff and the country.
“It is not easy at all, so credit to everybody that makes those decisions.”
Chelsea are still deciding who will take over in the dugout in the summer with ex-Sp*rs boss Mauricio Pochettino seemingly the frontrunner. If the Argentine does take over, he’ll face a tough task getting the Blues back into the Champions League at this first time of asking but Arteta wouldn’t write them off.
“Next season they may get 100 points – we don’t know,” said Arteta.
“With all that exceptional talent, if they make that work they can do anything because they have the players, the infrastructure and the history to do it I cannot assess what is right and what is wrong because you cannot assess in two months when they’ve made those changes, it is not fair.”
Let’s hope our players don’t think this is a preseason game like our last game.
Chelsea really do have some top players, enough that the law of averages says they will have a good game at some point. The conventional wisdom, that their problem is not having a “goal scorer,” is only half true; even though they have no classic (or modern) no. 9, they have plenty of players who could score if they had the right structure and selection. But Lampard, I think, is genuinely clueless. He used the fit-again Kante (still a world-class, unique talent) as if he were Kevin De Bruyne (or maybe Frank Lampard). Hopefully, he will remain clueless a few… Read more »
I make this a tough game, especially after Wednesday night and the 3 previous games. Chelsea have been terrible this season,but expect effort to increase by 1000% for this one,they hate us,their fans hate us,I’m fairly sure fat Frank hates us. It’s their game of the season in the league.
I’ve seen some fans calling for wholesale changes,I would bring in Trossard for Jesus,maybe Tierney for Zinny but otherwise the same team.
COYG
Whenever some shit team that’s desperate for a result turns up at our ground they usual get one. Chelsea have been a pile of horse dung all season but watch what happens tomorrow.
We are a charity club..Odegaard is happy for his friend Haaland to be crowned the EPL champion next week. Arsenal is going through the motion for the next 5 games. Some of the players already at the beach..
Fulham had the clearest penalty I’ve ever seen in my life not given. De Cordova Reid assaulted in the box and that thumb looking ref we had against city didn’t give it. Just fucking unbelievable.
Personally, I don’t give a flying frock about this game, or the rest of the season. I’ll probably not even bother to watch it. Who cares whether we finish second or fourth? WE’VE JUST THROWN AWAY THE TITLE! It wouldn’t surprise me if our bunch of losers suddenly turn it on against Chelsea and produce a sparkling, winning performance; after all, now that the Title’s gone there’s absolutely no pressure. And I hope that Arteta decides this summer to go back to St George’s to re-do his coaching badges so that he can remember how to manage a game. I’m… Read more »
Absolute shambles. Can’t believe how we threw the season away. Very sad.
Yes..now that tge pressure is off, not sure if we can do any better. Imagine Soton going down and they can brag that The Arsenal never beats them this season. Shambles…
So you wouldn’t feel like a fucking idiot if under your approach the players said fuck it let’s just finish third or fourth and City then drew one and lost one? Maybe it’s the American in me, but I’m always surprised by how quickly Premier League fans say the title is over when there are so many games left. The purported champions-elect have 18 points to play for, not to mention the pressure of trying to finally win a UCL against a team that does it like every other goddamn year. Our title run “fell apart” in four games; City… Read more »
Great points, my American friend. But here’s the problem: even if City do drop points our bottlers would surely find a way to throw away the Title.
Last season, with a top-four place there for the taking, our “world class” players bottled it and fell apart. This season was a repeat act.
Even if we only needed a draw against Wolves in our final game the losers would find a way to lose. They couldn’t even beat Southampton at home when it bitterly mattered.
THEY ARE LOSERS!
lol so harsh, my dear fat (British?) friend. As much as I understand the frustration (I really, really do, particularly with regard to last season and Southampton this season UGHH), surely THIS team deserves our support until the end? I wouldn’t call this season a repeat of last season when we’ve guaranteed CL with five games to spare. I’m all for piling on if they do in fact fall apart and miss the title in pathetic fashion, but, to mix metaphors, let’s not change the bedsheets before the fat lady has shat in them.
I thought you Yanks loved winners and hated losers?!
That’s why you guys put a man on the moon and we can’t even win a World Cup!
First is first and second is nowhere, my friend! And Arsenal are and will remain second!
You either watch too much tv, or you’re spurs fan. If your an Arsenal fan, then you’re the one bottling it.
What a shit comment. Do us all a favor and keep watching spurs and stop turning up here. Your persona would fit in perfectly down the road. The nonsense you spew is so tiresome.
There is only one league winner per season which has been city almost each year recently. Our young team are such losers for not doing the unthinkable.
Get rid of the grey/pink training gear, bring back the blue/yellow & everything will click again. P5W5 loading…
I can’t stand Chelsea, let’s just do them because they deserve it.
I don’t hate Chelsea…I fucking LOATHE them! They lead my hate league by a couple of points ahead of Man Utd, Stoke and then Tottenham. Shit club, shitty supporters and a shite ground in a suburb of Reading. Let’s destroy the fuckers tonight – COYG!