Antonio Conte’s men are bang in form early this season as they put behind their opening day loss to Burnley very quickly. They are now hot favourites to take all three points from the league game this weekend where they face their arch-rivals Arsenal in a crunch game.
The Gunners have made a mixed start to the campaign and any positive result from this game will give them a huge boost going into the rest of the season. There are a number of star players who will be on show at the Stamford Bridge this weekend but who makes the combined XI?
Here is the combined XI of the players that might feature in Arsenal’s trip to face Chelsea:
Manager: Antonio Conte
GK – Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea):
Though Petr Cech has not been too bad, Courtois has been commanding in his role and deserves a place in this XI.
CB – Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea):
The Spaniard is one of the most consistent defenders around in England and is probably one of the first names on this team sheet.
CB – David Luiz (Chelsea):
The experienced Brazilian has been impeccable at the heart of the Chelsea defence and is an automatic starter in this team.
CB – Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal):
Though he started the new season a bit late, Koscielny is still one of the best in the business and should start on the left-side of the backline.
RWB – Hector Bellerin (Arsenal):
Both Victor Moses and Davide Zappacosta have started the season well but Bellerin has been at the top of his game and edges past them by a whisker.
CDM – N’Golo Kante (Chelsea):
Probably the easiest choice for this role, Kante has been tremendous and industrious in the middle of the park for Chelsea and acts as the deepest of the midfielders.
LWB – Marcos Alonso (Chelsea):
Though Sead Kolasinac has made a tremendous start to his English career, Alonso has scored winners for his side already and is a better option on the left flank.
RW – Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal):
Though not his original position, Sanchez finds a place on the right flank in this lineup as he is better than most other options both teams have at their disposal.
CAM – Mesut Ozil (Arsenal):
The German playmaker is often guilty of failing to turn up in big games but is still one of the best players, not just among these two teams, but also in Europe.
LW – Eden Hazard (Chelsea):
The Belgian playmaker is just back from an injury and is expected to start. There is little competition for his place in this side.
ST – Alvaro Morata (Chelsea):
Though Alexandre Lacazette has been decent for the Gunners, Morata has hit the ground running and deserves a place in this side ahead of the French hitman.
Here is how they might line up:
