It’s Chelsea vs Arsenal in the Premier League tomorrow, and here’s our predicted XI.
The Gunners are flying and began the weekend on top of the Premier League table. However, following Manchester City’s dramatic victory over Fulham, we’ll have to win tomorrow to return to the summit.
Predicted Arsenal XI vs Chelsea
Mikel Arteta made seven changes for Arsenal’s mid-week game against FC Zurich in the Europa League. We expect him to make seven more for the London derby tomorrow.
Aaron Ramsdale, Ben White and Gabriel Magalhaes will keep their place in the side, with William Saliba returning to the heart of the defence to replace Rob Holding.
The big call for Arteta is at left-back after Kieran Tierney‘s Man of the Match display on Thursday. Many feel he deserves to keep his place in the side, especially with Takehiro Tomiyasu injured, but we think he’ll be benched.
Oleksandr Zinchenko is fit again and was on the bench against Zurich. He has been involved in full training ahead of the game tomorrow, and we think he’ll get the nod over the Scotsman.
The rest of our side is fairly easy to predict.
Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka will start in the middle of the park behind skipper Martin Odegaard, who scored for the first time since August against Nottingham Forest last weekend.
Reiss Nelson was our hero in that game thanks to a brilliant brace, but Bukayo Saka is fit again now and he’s expected to start on the right flank. That is a massive boost after the scare against Forest.
Alongside Saka in attack will be our two Gabriels – Jesus and Martinelli. The former is desperate to find the net again after going eight games without a goal. Hopefully, he’ll bang one in against Chelsea tomorrow.
Predicted Arsenal XI vs Chelsea: Ramsdale, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Xhaka, Partey, Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli, Jesus
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