Arsenal have been backed to only earn a point in their "massive" clash against Chelsea this weekend despite the Gunners dominating a combined XI between the two sides.
The Blues welcome Mikel Arteta ’s men to Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon with both sides keen for three points. The North Londoners of course will be aiming to build on their advantage at the top of the Premier League, whilst Graham Potter ’s men will hope to get back on track following their reverse at the hands of Brighton last time out.
In assessing the quality of both sides, former Tottenham Hotspur wideman Jamie O’Hara has claimed that only Reece James and Thiago Silva would get into the team in a combined XI between the two clubs.
Speaking with talkSPORT , he said: “You can’t say Havertz because for me Jesus is way better. Out of Mason Mount and Gabriel Martinelli, at the moment I’m taking Martinelli, Bukayo Saka over Raheem Sterling.
“Martin Odegaard, who gets in ahead of him? He’s fantastic. Cesar Azpilicueta has been a fantastic player over the years but I think Ben White is ahead of him right now.”
Whilst O’Hara has claimed that there is a vast chasm between the quality of Arsenal and Chelsea, former Gunner Paul Merson does not believe that the North Londoners will have an easy time of things at Stamford Bridge.
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Writing in a column for Sportskeeda , he said: “This is a massive game for both teams, for different reasons.
“If Arsenal win, they will go 13 points clear of Chelsea. Let’s be realistic now – Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea aren’t talking about winning the Premier League title. The title race is over for them, and they’re looking for a top-four finish.
“If Arsenal win this game, they’d have to lose five football matches for Chelsea to catch them, and that’s if Chelsea don’t lose themselves. This is a big game for Arsenal, and they’ll need to avoid defeat. They need to make sure they’re not flat-track bullies.
“If Arsenal don’t lose this match, you’d expect them to be in the running for the Premier League title for a long time.
“Arsenal are flying in the Premier League at the moment, and they don’t need the World Cup rest. They’re on a roll and they were outstanding against Forest. I think this match will end in a 1-1 draw, and that’ll be a good result for Arsenal.”
Following the showdown in West London, both Arsenal and Chelsea have just one Premier League game remaining before the World Cup. The Blues round-off their domestic commitments against high-flying Newcastle United, whilst Mikel Arteta’s troops take on struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers next weekend.
