For the sixth time in the 2017/2018 season Arsenal and Chelsea will face each other. This Wednesday, January 24, the game is worth the round return of the semifinals of the League Cup of England. The London classic will mark the second finalist of the competition. It will be held at Emirates Stadium from 18h (BrasÃlia time).
In the first leg, at Stamford Bridge, the duel did not go out of the 0-0. Thus, whoever wins leads. Goal-scoring is good for the blues. Replaying the scoreboard requires a 30-minute extension and if the scoreboard is not moved the setting will be made through penalty kicks.
The Gunners ended on Saturday, January 20, a series of five games without a win (three draws and two losses). Also at Emirates Stadium against another London club thrashed Crystal Palace 4-1.
That did not change the situation of Arsenal in the English League. With 42 points (12 wins, six draws and six losses), the reds are out of the European Tournament classification zone. They are a modest sixth place in the Premier League with three points difference compared to fifth-placed Tottenham.
As they have already been eliminated from the FA Cup, the League Cup becomes an important option to get a trophy and avoid a total disaster this season. That’s why coach Arsene Wenger, who has been climbing reserve teams until the showdown with Chelsea, should put the best team on the pitch.
To do this, you need to wait for the position of the medical department in relation to players who are in treatment of injuries. They are the defender Nacho Monreal (20 games in the English Championship 2017/2018, three goals); midfielder Aaron Ramsey (16 games, three goals); and strikers Olivier Giroud (15 games, four goals) and Danny Welbeck (16 games, three goals). The situation of Alexis Sanchez (19 games, seven goals) has finally been defined. The player and the club agreed with Manchester United.
The current form of Chelsea
The blues also had an encouraging result over the weekend. After five straight draws, they thrashed Brighton at the home side’s 4-0 lead. That has significantly changed the way they view the club’s recent campaign. Instead of saying that Chelsea have been five games without a win, now the club defends an unbeaten 12 games (six wins and six draws).
Of course this is not a spectacular series but it has been enough to keep the club in the forefront of the English Premier League and ensure qualification for the fifth round of the FA Cup and the Round of 16 of the Champions League.
The good news for coach Antonio Conte does not stop there. For the match against Arsenal he will be able to count on the return of Spanish strikers Alvaro Morata (20 games in the English Championship 2017/2018, ten goals) and Pedro (18 matches, four goals). They were unable to play against Brighton for being sent off in the previous game, a draw with Norwich (1 to 1) for the FA Cup.
There are still doubts about injured athletes. The goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois (23 matches) is in the infirmary; defenders Gary Cahill (17 games, no goal) and Andreas Christensen (18 games, no goal); and Daniel Drinkwater (ten games, one goal) and Cesc Fabregas (20 games, one goal).
History of the matches Arsenal vs Chelsea
The London classic has had five editions in the current season. Two were in friendlies. In July, Chelsea thrashed by 3-0. In August, there was a 1: 1 lead. In the first official game in September, the Premier League, a new draw, this time without goals. In the second, another equality, but by 2 to 2. The third was just the first match of the semifinals of the League Cup.
There is a great possibility that the teams use a very conservative stance for the classic. This indicates the tie as a good guessing option. Has a price of 3.50 in Bet365. Arsenal win pays 3.00 and Chelsea yields 2.45. Prices in effect at 10:25 am on 22/1/2018.