Our prediction for this Premier League match:
There will be fireworks when Chelsea and Arsenal face each other at Stamford Bridge in the London derby. The Blues did well to beat Crystal Palace in the FA Cup semis on Sunday, and the bookies see them as favourites to win the local derby as well. Both Ben Chilwell and Callum Hudson-Odoi are sidelined with injuries, but there are no suspended players in the home team. The Gunners, on the other hand, are on a three-game losing run in the Premier League.
Mikel Arteta’s troops failed to impress in a 1-0 loss to Southampton, and they are unlikely to spoil Chelsea’s party at Stamford Bridge. Emile Smith Rowe is widely expected to return to the starting XI, while Thomas Partey remains in the recovery room. Wednesday’s game comes too early for right-back Takehiro Tomiyasu, while fellow defender Kieran Tierney is yet another absentee in the away team.
Highlighted Player (N Golo Kante):
Born in Paris in 1991, N’Golo Kante spent his early career playing for French minnows Boulogne and Caen, but he didn’t need a lot of time to catch the eye of high-profile clubs. The holding midfielder was on the verge of joining Marseille in the summer of 2015 when Leicester City submitted a £5.6 million for his services and he eventually signed for the King Power Stadium outfit.
Destiny appears to have played a part in the move as Kante would go on to become one of leading Premier League footballers in an unbelievable season that ended with the Foxes winning the Premiership trophy. Having deservedly been nominated for the PFA Player of the Year award, Kante would also receive the first ever call-up for the national team in March 2016, and he impressed in his first two appearances, scoring a goal in the 4-2 triumph over Russia.
A combative midfielder with an amazing pair of lungs, Kante impressed Premier League fans and pundits alike, and he will probably go down as one of the best holding midfielders to have ever played for an English club.
Highlighted Team (Arsenal):
Arsenal are regarded as one of the best English teams. The Gunners have won 12 FA Cup trophies, 13 league titles and two League Cups, but they have yet to lift the Champions League trophy. Arsene Wenger’s team were on the verge of beating Barcelona in the Champions League final back in 2006, but they eventually failed to win the prestigious title.
Arsenal used to play their homes at Highbury, but in 2006 they moved to the Emirates Stadium. The capacity of the stadium is 60,260. The Gunners won their last Premier League trophy back in 2004, with the capital club going through the season without a single loss. The likes of Thierry Henry, Denis Bergkamp and Robert Pires were part of the team back then, but Arsenal have not won the league trophy ever since.
Arsenal was founded by Woolwich munitions workers as Dial Square back in 1886. It is well known that Tottenham Hotspur are Arsenal’s fiercest rivals and there have always been fireworks when the two local rivals meet in the North London derby.