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Match Highlights & Full Match Replay– Available after the game end
This Saturday on the schedule of the 31st round of the English Premier league, the first place team , Chelsea FC welcomes Arsene Wenger’s Gunners having fourth points more and a one game more than Arsenal. A really important game for both teams which none of them can lose if they want to keep the run for the title with Liverpool and Manchester City on the hunt also. Further, a milestone game for Arsene Wenger to whom this will be this 1,000th match on the bench of Arsenal.
Impressive fact surely for the history, as so far only Dario Gradi, Matt Busby and the Sir Alex Ferguson managed to achieve. Exactly Sir Alex, a former Man Utd manager has spoken a superlatives towards Arsene Wenger ahead of the milestone game.
The 64-year-old Wenger took over Arsenal back in October 1996th and has won three league titles and four England FA Cup’s, which makes him the most successful manager of the Gunners. But Wenger has won nothing since 2005 ., when his team have won the FA Cup against Ferguson’s United.
“Over the years we have enjoyed many fantastic battles against each other and it can be said that we have survived together and that we respected each other’s efforts to play good football. I’ve always enjoyed watching Arsenal .”
“Playing against Arsenal has always presented a special challenge, and the many hours I spent thinking about his Arsenal.
But this time, Wenger needs to spend time thinking how to beat the fist placed team, Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea , since the Gunners have already been eliminated from other competitions, where the latest one was from Champions league and elimination for the second season in a row by Bayern Munich.
Jose Mourinho’s home record is impressive and Wenger is fully aware of it, as he knows his team would need to bring something special to the Stamford Bridge this Saturday to win points. What surely can be a good thing for Wenger’s men is that Chelsea FC have played this weekend their second-leg match against Galatasaray, so some accumulated fatigue is to be expected.
Regarding the mutual encounter between these two teams, this season Chelsea FC have celebrated a 2-0 win at the Emirated and knocked Arsenal from the Cup, while their Premier league’s game ended with a draw.
Speaking of available players for Wenger, Arsenal midfield as usually have some injuries problems so Aaron Ramsey (thigh), Mesut Ozil (hamstring) and Jack Wilshere (foot) are ruled out for this game, but Kim Kallstrom could make his debut.
As for Chelsea FC, Ashley Cole (knee) remains a doubt, David Luiz could be back in the first lineup , while Brazilian duo Willian and Ramires are both suspended due to red cards they picked up in a game Aston Villa which Chelsea lost with 1-0.
Team Probable lineups
Chelsea FC : Cech – Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta –Matic, Lampard – Schurrle, Oscar, Hazard – Eto’o
Arsenal : Szczesny – Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs – Flamini, Arteta – Oxlade-Chamberlain, Rosicky, Cazorla – Giroud
Team News & Interviews
‘I admire Wenger and Arsenal’, says Mourinho
Jose Mourinho looks ahead to Chelsea’s English Premier League London derby against Arsenal on the eve of the clash – and claims that he has no preference concerning who his side face in the next stage of the UEFA Champions League; they were later drawn against Paris Saint-Germain at Friday’s draw in Nyon, Switzerland.
Mourinho describes Champions League draw as ‘balanced’
Chelsea most important game of the season – Wenger
Arsene Wenger, who takes charge of Arsenal for the 1,000th time in the English Premier League match against Chelsea on Saturday, talked on Friday about reaching the milestone, not long after being presented with awards to mark his achievement.
1,000 games in charge a ‘privilege and honour’ – Wenger