Two matches down, two wins in the bag. Arsenal have started the new Premier League campaign as they ended the last one, racking up wins to remain one of only four clubs with a 100% win rate so far.
The Gunners face their biggest test of the season as an ascendant New-look Chelsea come to the Emirates for the first London Derby of the season for Arsenal. The Blues are among the four clubs with a perfect record so far, and they will come into Sunday’s match looking for a statement win under new manager
Xabi Alonso.
It’s early days, but this one has all the makings of an early title decider. The Gunners are on the hunt for a second consecutive title while Chelsea are hoping that another summer of massive transfer expenditures will finally end their decade-long title drought.
Let’s take a look at who is out and how Arsenal may line up for Sunday’s massive match.
Injuries & Suspensions
Arsenal went to Villa Park looking for a football match and found themselves thrust into an MMA bout. The Villans played with a chip on their shoulder, and the ref’s inability to manage the match meant that the hosts felt emboldened to leave a few harsh tackles on the Gunners. Thankfully, no major injury was suffered despite Villa’s best efforts.
Bruno Guimarães returned to action when he came on in the second half after missing the home opener with a minor knock. Having him available is a huge boost, as he looked sharp in his late cameo.
Cristhian Mosquera went down in the second half rubbing his hamstring before new signing Ezri Konsa was subbed on for his Arsenal debut. Mikel Arteta was quick to assuage any concerns in the post-game presser and said that the Spanish defender was ok. Still, there will be understandable concerns with yet another defender potentially out.
OUT: William Saliba (back), Jurrien Timber (groin)
DOUBT: Cristhian Mosquera (hamstring)
Predicted Lineup
Attack: Eze, Havertz, Saka
Left Wing: Eberechi Eze
Christos Tzolis had his first “welcome to the league” performance as he struggled with Villa’s physicality. He was well off the mark and found himself (unfairly) in the books before being subbed for Eze at half time. It was a tough watch, but he will learn from it and bounce back.
Eze’s introduction out wide changed the match. He may lack in pace, but his ball control and passing immediately elevated the attack and provided the hockey assist for Saka’s match winner. He only featured on the left for a handful of performances last season, but this season looks like he may be heavily involved out wide after Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta failed to bring in another attacker before the transfer window closed on Tuesday.
Striker: Kai Havertz
Havertz, like Tzolis, had a match to forget. He was consistently offsides and failed to make any meaningful impact outside of drawing a few fouls.
Still, all signs point toward Havertz starting against his former club on Sunday. To start, he had been in fine form until Monday night. One poor performance does not a bad striker make, and he has shown his quality more than enough for the gaffer to continue putting his faith in. He also seems to relish the chance to put one over on his former club.
The other ugly elephant in the room is the complete absence of Viktor Gyökeres over the first two matches. Despite being fit and available all pre-season, he has not gotten off the bench so far. The alarm bells aren’t ringing yet over his future, but it certainly raises eyebrows.
Right Wing: Bukayo Saka
Arsenal’s Starboy scored again on Monday, which proved to be the difference maker. He came into the seasons with question marks about his fitness but has, so far, put a lot of those worries to bed with two goals in two matches.
Most notable about his performance was the fire he showed following his goal. Saka has always been a relatively quiet guy, but his intensity celebrating the goal – tapping the golden PL badge and shouting “this is our club!” after getting booed all match – were interesting developments as he grows into a more vocal leader.
Midfield: Bruno, Rice, Ødegaard
Center Mid: Bruno Guimarães
Arsenal’s newest midfielder had to wait to make his PL debut for the Gunners after missing the opener, but he showed tremendous quality in his late cameo. He linked up with his teammates as though he had been playing with them for several seasons, and was unfortunate to not have a penalty awarded after being taken down in the box by a flying scissor tackle.
Myles Lewis-Skelly has shot out of the gate in great form, but Bruno provides a level of passing and progression that the 19 year old Hale End grad hasn’t yet unlocked. Against a Chelsea side that will come out looking to hit the Gunners early, it will be vital for the Gunners to spring on chances to counter and hit them in transition, which Bruno can do at a high level.
Central Defensive Mid: Declan Rice
Like Saka, Rice has answered questions about his fitness with two solid performances. Against Villa, he was instrumental at keeping the hosts from having any easy looks in the attack. Against Chelsea, I expect him to play a deeper role to aide the defense against the Blues’ league-leading attack, especially if Bruno starts alongside him.
Central Attacking Mid: Martin Ødegaard
Ødegaard had an ok night at Villa Park, but has been showing levels since returning from the break that indicate that he might finally be back. Like many of his teammates, his passing was just a little off the mark against Villa’s high press, but he was constantly looking to break their defensive line to spring the attack.
Defense: Calafiori, Gabriel, Konsa, White
Left Back: Riccardo Calafiori
It’s hard to think of a player who has had as strong a start to the season for the Gunners as Cala. Since the Community Shield, he has scored or assisted in three straight matches after his sliding cross to Saka helped put the Gunners into the lead.
Chelsea’s attack will be a massive test for him and the rest of the back line. While the Italian defender is exceptional in his ability to pop up in unexpected places in the attack, he will need to be on his game defensively on Sunday. A start for Pierro Hincapie wouldn’t be outside the realm of possibility if Arteta wants to play it safe at the back, but Calafiori is in too good of form right now to drop him.
Left Center Back: Gabriel Magalhães
The Brazilian defender was once again pivotal in securing a second clean sheet to start the season as Arsenal remain one of two sides to not have conceded a goal so far. Chelsea have found the net 9 times in two matches, but a few of those came from individual errors by defenders and keepers. Playing it smart will be paramount.
Right Center Back: Ezri Konsa
Arsenal’s most recent signing came off the bench against his former club to see out the victory on Monday following Cristhian Mosquera’s knock. Despite the emotional stakes of the moment, he slotted in and put in a solid shift. His veteran experience in the league is apparent. The only question mark is the chemistry between him and the rest of the defense after only two weeks of training. If he and Gabi are on the same page, it will be a tough day at the Emirates for the Blues.
Right Back: Benjamin White
White’s the man on the right as Timber returns to fitness, for better or for worse. After a superb opening performance against Coventry, he looked a step behind against Villa and put in some poor passes. His ongoing injury issues always give pause for consideration, and with Mosquera potentially out, his odds of getting a rest got significantly lower.
Keeper: David Raya
Another match, another clean sheet. The reigning three-time Golden Glove winner wasn’t challenged by Villa, who failed to register a shot on target, though he made a few key actions to cut out dangerous crosses.
