With four games to go – five for some, six for Bolton – every match in the English Premier League would have massive repercussions for not only the two teams involved but also those that surround their position on the league table. The early kickoff today at the Emirates is one of the biggest games of the season for both the clubs involved and of course for Tottenham Hotspurs and Newcastle United as well. All four of them could finish anywhere between 3rd and 6th depending on results going in their favour – or lack thereof; that’s how close the race for Champions League football is. As things stand Arsenal are 3rd with 64 points, Tottenham 4th with 59, Newcastle 5th with 59 and Chelsea 6th with 57 points. And Arsenal have played 34 games – a game more than the rest of the chasing pack.
Arsenal and Chelsea are coming off the back of contrasting results. The away team for today’s encounter beat possibly the greatest club side to ever play the game in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, owing to a dogged, determined performance. While Arsenal came unstuck against a relegation contender – even though teams of that particular kith and kin are veritable beasts at this time of the year – Wigan, who are fighting for their life with vigor and verve that has seen them conjure up back-to-back wins over Manchester United and Arsenal.
As far as Champions League qualification are concerned, Chelsea need the win today more than Arsenal do – unless they’re going for the ‘easy way out’ and beating Barcelona and one of Bayern Munich or Real Madrid en route to winning the Holy Grail of club football and getting automatic qualification. However, back-to-back defeats for the Gunners would give their North London neighbours a sniff of the third spot; even though they haven’t seemed particularly interested in sniffing around that particular spot recently.
Chelsea should also get more motivation – as if they needed any – owing to being on the wrong end of a jarring 5-3 loss at Stamford Bridge earlier this season, and the blues should have reason for optimism knowing that Mikel Arteta is out for the rest of the season and that Yossi Benayoun would not be involved against his parent club while Abou Diaby has next to no fitness level to fill that void. That would mean that Aaron Ramsey – who has had a mixed season and continues to divide opinion – should be played in the middle.
Chelsea, meanwhile, have fitness issues of their own. Considering the fact that the collective age of their normal first choice 11 is only a couple of years less than the Egyptian pyramids, the Barca match would undoubtedly take its toll in the second half against Arsenal. Furthermore Arsenal’s tormentor-in-chief historically Didier Drogba – who has scored 12 goals in 14 games against Arsenal – would not be playing today after the Ivorian was ruled out with a knee injury. Hence Fernando Torres should get the umpteen hundredth chance to pay back some of the amount the Roman Abramovic splurged out for his services.
It goes without saying that Robin Van Persie would have a major part to play for Arsenal, and if he finds his groove – like he did in the reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge – Arsene Wenger’s younger, fresher troops might just run Chelsea ragged. Despite Chelsea needing it more, Arsenal look better placed to take the three points – something that, as things stand, Abramovic might even give a blank cheque for.
