Calciomercato.com

What to expect from Sarri's Chelsea against Arsenal?

What to expect from Sarri's Chelsea against Arsenal?

Arsenal and Chelsea will lock horns with each other for probably the umpteenth time in history. But what will make this meeting unique is the fact that both sides will have a new manager at the helm for the first time in about two decades.

 

Call it luck or fortune, Arsenal faced the reigning Champions Manchester City last weekend and succumbed to a disappointing 2-0 defeat. It clearly suggested that the club is still a work in progress and things can't change overnight with Unai Emery in charge.

 

​It was Chelsea who were one of the most impressive sides in the first round of matches in the Premier League as they had cruised to a 3-0 win over David Wagner’s Huddersfield Town. Goals from N’Golo Kante, Pedro and debutant Jorginho propelled the Blues to a win as fans saw glimpses of the kind of football Maurizio Sarri wants to impose at the club.

 

And while it won’t be an easy game, it would be worth seeing how two new managers will play in a game many have been waiting for. While Emery has already played a big game, it came against a much stiffer opponent in City, who were almost walking in the park after scoring the two goals.

 

Chelsea could be a less stiffer opposition and many have expected both of the sides to expect outside the top four. And it seems as though Sarri’s system has become more prominent than Emery’s at Arsenal. We have already seen glimpses of the sort of football that the Italian wants to play at Chelsea.

 

The Blues play possession oriented football, which doesn’t just involve pressing high up the pitch but involves starting play from the back. The central defenders play out from the back and the midfield three of Kante, Jorginho and either Ross Barkley or Mateo Kovacic play different roles in the heart of the park.

 

And the midfield three seem able enough to switch roles. Jorginho plays as a deep-lying playmaker and Kante takes up the role of a sitting midfielder. Barkley played the role of a more forward thinking midfielder, but we could expect Kovacic to make a debut.

 

This certainty in the system will help Chelsea oust Arsenal today. The Gunners are unlucky to have been facing both Chelsea and City in the first two games and their real style of play will be determined when they start playing the slightly lesser able sides.



For more transfer news and updates, click here