by Tom Allen
With home advantage Arsenal are worthy favourites against Chelsea on Saturday
but they are too short now and the time has come to oppose them.
It was a relatively slow start for the Gunners this season with opening
goalless draws against both Sunderland and Stoke in the Premier League but they
were impressive at Anfield when winning 2-0 and then battered Southampton.
Arsenal rallied from a goal down at the home of the champions last Sunday to
claim a valuable point against Manchester City, defender Laurent Koscielny
grabbing a late equaliser, and, after a tough opening half dozen top flight
fixtures, Arsene Wenger must be delighted with his team's showing.
Wenger will be satisfied with how his new recruits have settled, in
particular the excellent Santi Cazorla and Lukas Podolski, but Arsenal do enter
their next fixture four points adrift of their opponents and Chelsea will be no
pushovers.
Sitting top of the Premier League as a result of two solitary dropped points
at QPR, the Blues have not excelled but have maintained the doggedness that saw
them sweep to Champions League glory in May and there is no doubt they are tough
to beat.
It is also four clean sheets in five matches for Robert Di Matteo's men and,
while they are sure to be put under significantly greater pressure at The
Emirates, Chelsea are tipped to withstand any Arsenal onslaught.
Chelsea have turned in some terrific away performances in recent months,
culminating in their Munich success, and at the prices I much prefer to have the
visitors and the draw on side.
The key battle looks to be in midfield but Chelsea have strengthened there
significantly with the recruits of Oscar and Eden Hazard while Frank Lampard has
also returned to somewhere near his best this term with a string of fine
displays.
It's unquestionably the match of the weekend in England's top flight but one
which looks posed to end in a stalemate and that would do just fine from a
betting perspective.
It ended 0-0 in this fixture in April and a repeat score line wouldn't
surprise.
2pts Chelsea-Draw (Double Chance, vs. Arsenal) @ 7/10 (William
Hill)
