15 minutes ago, Argo said:

With the short term turnover between Arsenal and Villa we will need to decide which match to use Thiago Silva, and i think it may be Villa!

No way - he will play in BOTH. The thought of us playing the gooners with no Silva, Chilwell or James doesn't bare thinking about. Bring in Kepa for Mendy and we may as well hand Arsenal the points now!

17 minutes ago, Nibs said:

No way - he will play in BOTH. The thought of us playing the gooners with no Silva, Chilwell or James doesn't bare thinking about. Bring in Kepa for Mendy and we may as well hand Arsenal the points now!

Put Jorginho in front of them and they'll think its Christmas

3 hours ago, TomCFC85 said:

We all know that Lamps will choose the 433.

Mendy 

Azpi Thiago Zouma Emerson 

Kova Kante Mount

Pulisic Tammy Werner 

Exactly the team I expect us to go with. 

I would like Rudiger in for Emerson and Save on the left.

Sounds like Auba might be missing for them.

Edited December 23, 20205 yr by axman2526

You can't beat a big local derby at Christmas, can you?  Looking forward to this more than my presents tomorrow.  2-1 Chelsea! Merry Christmas Chelsea fans!

On 23/12/2020 at 07:29, The Swan said:

Arsenal just can’t keep losing. Statistically they have to win some time. Last season when we played Everton away they had been on a bad run but they beat us to then go on a decent run. Even this season Wolves had been on a poor run prior to beating us. Of the 3 games we have (Rectum, Villa and City) it is the Rectums I worry most we will lose to. Apologies for the pessimistic outlook. It would be very disappointing to lose to one of the worse Arsenal teams in decades. If we do win be sure to watch their silly tv channel - funny as f**k.

 

A couple or so years ago we played Palace In September away, they hadn’t  even scored a goal let alone got a point, Chelsea being Chelsea, we lost 2-1 and Palace thought they’d won a cup final, only good thing that day, I met and shook Ray Wilkins RIP hand in the away end, my first Chelsea hero as a young lad, a few months later he passed away.

22 minutes ago, chi blue said:

A couple or so years ago we played Palace In September away, they hadn’t  even scored a goal let alone got a point, Chelsea being Chelsea, we lost 2-1 and Palace thought they’d won a cup final, only good thing that day, I met and shook Ray Wilkins RIP hand in the away end, my first Chelsea hero as a young lad, a few months later he passed away.

I was there that day and remember seeing Ray Wilkins outside by the queue for the bar, getting a lot of attention from our fans.

It was a really sh*t away day.

This match will probably put Arteta out of his misery. Play Giroud up top to administer the coup de grace. 

My pessimism has returned. Not so long ago we played this lot in a cup final and we were clear favourites...Frank was his normal understated and measured self in the press conference a few days back. He knows we can’t be too cocky. 

2 hours ago, chi blue said:

A couple or so years ago we played Palace In September away, they hadn’t  even scored a goal let alone got a point, Chelsea being Chelsea, we lost 2-1 and Palace thought they’d won a cup final, only good thing that day, I met and shook Ray Wilkins RIP hand in the away end, my first Chelsea hero as a young lad, a few months later he passed away.

Do we really "gift off form teams recovery points" anymore than others do? In the last week alone I've seen Spurs, United, City and Southampton fans claim the very same thing.

I personally believe under proper scrutiny it would stand up about as well as this theory that teams who we have no rivalry with play us like a cup final while rolling over for our rivals.

Edited December 24, 20205 yr by Argo

Wish this ‘Christmas’ bollocks would get over and done with so we can get back to the pressing importance of football. 

4 hours ago, Stretford Ender said:

This match will probably put Arteta out of his misery. Play Giroud up top to administer the coup de grace. 

Now that would truly be a beautiful thing , can you imagine, the big hairy french le coq banging a brace in a 3-1 win and artettttttttta getting the tin tack, dare we dream ?

4 hours ago, The Swan said:

My pessimism has returned. Not so long ago we played this lot in a cup final and we were clear favourites...Frank was his normal understated and measured self in the press conference a few days back. He knows we can’t be too cocky. 

We weren't clear favourites though, favourites yes but not clear. Arsenal were in pretty good form then, right now they're awful. 

Anything other than a win is a big dissappointment. A point against Spurs and United I was pleased with, a point here? No way, should be winning this. 

In 1977 at 13 yrs old went to Highbury for Boxing Day lost 0-3 but watching from the Clock End could see our fans ‘took’ the North Bank we expected to lose and taking their end was the prize that day.

next day Dec 27th was I was at the Bridge Shed End for the Pikeys who for a good few minutes before KO ‘took’ the Shed, that was a shockingly scary surprise walking down the terraces with Chelsea fans retreating up towards us all bloodied up, Chelsea won 2-1!

no rest and not much rotation back then, I expect a different outcome this Boxing Day!!

This game has very much 0-0 written on it considering both teams will be looking to play on the counter, I doubt Lampard would want to over commit considering our limitations on the wing and us being away from home and after the recent results against the big teams Arteta will want to play on the counter himself. 

Hopefully we can benefit from the lack of confidence throughout the Arsenal ranks and get an early breakthrough to really shatter their confidence further, the longer they keep us out the more resolute they will get. 

I think they will opt for a 3-4-3 and if they do that I can see us bossing the midfield, the biggest threat Arsenal possess is from the wingbacks Saka & Maitland-Niles, we will need Azpi and Emerson to keep them under control. 

3 hours ago, Munkworth said:

Wish this ‘Christmas’ bollocks would get over and done with so we can get back to the pressing importance of football. 

Footballs bollox though not being able to go to the game mate

I find these analyses interesting, they think Frank should go for Arsenal rather than sit back like we did against WHU until Kova came on.

They acknowledge Arsenal has some threat though think our midfield will overwhelm them providing Frank does not go defensive.

https://www.football365.com/news/arsenal-v-chelsea-one-big-game-five-big-questions

 

6 hours ago, Strider6003 said:

I find these analyses interesting, they think Frank should go for Arsenal rather than sit back like we did against WHU until Kova came on.

They acknowledge Arsenal has some threat though think our midfield will overwhelm them providing Frank does not go defensive.

https://www.football365.com/news/arsenal-v-chelsea-one-big-game-five-big-questions

 

I reckon the only way Arsenal beat us is if we open up and look to dominate the game and they exploit the space left behind by our fullbacks. So far majority of the games they have lost they've actually had more possession then the opposition, they lack any sort of creativity to break down well organised defences. 

I think we should set up in a similar manner to the way we did against Spurs, Arsenal are not as well drilled defensively and I am sure we will be able to break them down through our movement rather then over commiting and leaving our defense exposed. 

1 hour ago, Imran_CFC said:

I reckon the only way Arsenal beat us is if we open up and look to dominate the game and they exploit the space left behind by our fullbacks. So far majority of the games they have lost they've actually had more possession then the opposition, they lack any sort of creativity to break down well organised defences. 

I think we should set up in a similar manner to the way we did against Spurs, Arsenal are not as well drilled defensively and I am sure we will be able to break them down through our movement rather then over commiting and leaving our defense exposed. 

Agreed we would be best served to use Dave on the left and Rudiger on the right I if James and Chilwell are out.

 

Mendy

 

Rudiger

Zouma 

Silva

Azpi

 

Kante

Kovacic

Mount

 

Pulisic

 

Abraham

Werner

 

Pulisic as a number 2 off 2 strikers as our full backs will stay back more.

Edited December 25, 20205 yr by axman2526

Don‘t know why but I got a very bad feeling torwards tomorrow. Hope I am wrong. Can‘t stand this lot but we are always good for giving away christmas presents

I worry as our last 3 performances haven’t been great. We need to get that first goal and then we can put them to the sword as their confidence is shot. 
If they somehow sneak the first goal it might be a struggle as we aren’t that creative right now. However they are awful and even Burnley beat them at home so serious questions need to be asked if we don’t win.

Fancy a 2-0 here against the relegations strugglers.

I'll be slaughtered for this

But I think we'll lose. It's just impossible to think we win this. We are Arsenal's bounce back game. It's just in the script. 

Please prove me wrong. 

1 hour ago, JoeyN said:

I'll be slaughtered for this

1 hour ago, JoeyN said:

I'll be slaughtered for this

But I think we'll lose. It's just impossible to think we win this. We are Arsenal's bounce back game. It's just in the script. 

Please prove me wrong. 

It would be very Chelsea that is for sure.

Any chance of seeing CHO instead of Werner? Or Werner at CF. Probably not. 

Mendy

Azpi-Silva-Zouma-Emerson 

Kovacic-Kante-Mount

Werner-Abraham-Pulisic

Gameday! Hope we have a good one today. 

Match Day!
 

Come on Chelsea !!