Chelsea face a crucial game in the Premier League title race when they take on Arsenal this saturday at Stamford Bridge. The blues will be looking to bounce back from their loss against Aston Villa.
The two sides met twice earlier this season at Emirates Stadium, Chelsea won the League Cup tie 2-0. However, the Premier League game ended in 0-0.
Stat Attack: Chelsea are undefeated in their last 5 matches against Arsenal in all competitions.
Chelsea completed the purchase of Nemanja Matic in the January transfer window and has turned out to be a key player for them in the Premier League.
Nemanja Matic has been a standout player for Chelsea since his return. He has completed 394 passes in the Premier League so far, only Eden Hazard (420) has completed more during this period. He has won 41% of his tackles and 53% of the headed duels which is only topped by Azpilicueta and Cahill respectively.
Matic has been exceptional in retrieving possesion, having recovered the ball 66 times since his debut and has made 23 interceptions in his nine Premier League games, which is more than any other Chelsea player.
It will be interesting to see who lines up with Matic in that holding role with Ramires suspended. Chelsea have kept 4 clean sheets in their 4 games when Matic have started with either Lampard or Luiz.
Arsenal’s interplay mostly comes from the middle third which is 45% and 70% of their shots have come from the middle of the pitch, which is why Nemanja Matic’s contribution will be a vital for Chelsea in stopping Arsenal’s attacking threat this weekend. As the league game earlier in the season, this match looks likely to be a close encounter.
