Arsenal, after yet another disappointing draw in the league against Sheffield United, will travel to Stamford Bridge to play Chelsea on Tuesday.
The Gunners are 10th in the Premier League table and way off the pace – 10 points behind their mid-week opponents, who are in fourth in the table.
The last time these two sides faced off in the league, Frank Lampard’s side won the game 2-1 at the Emirates.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will want a win under his belt having drawn their last two games against Crystal Palace and Sheffield United, but that will be easier said than done against Chelsea.
Arsenal Team News
Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will miss the game against Chelsea as he is currently serving a suspension following his red card against Palace.
Sokratis missed the draw against the Blades due to an illness and he is a doubt for Tuesday’s match.
Calum Chambers and Kieran Tierney are on the treatment table with long-term injuries, while Sead Kolasinac and Reiss Nelson will also miss the game due to injury.
Let’s take a look at the possible Arsenal lineup for the game against Chelsea:
Predicted Arsenal Lineup vs Chelsea
Goalkeeper
Bernd Leno will start in goal for the Gunners on Tuesday, and could have a busy game if the defenders let him down again.
Defence
Shkodran Mustafi started last time around and put in a decent performance. He should retain his place in the team if Sokratis is not fit.
If the Greek international is fit, he should replace Mustafi and start alongside David Luiz at the back.
Hector Bellerin was an unused substitute last time around and he could start in place of Ainsley Maitland-Niles, despite not playing since the first week of December.
Also read: Chelsea vs Arsenal: Jorginho vs Torreira, And Other Key Battles
Bukayo Saka should retain his left-back position in the Arsenal lineup due to the injuries to Kieran Tierney and Sead Kolasinac.
Midfield
Lucas Torreira and Granit Xhaka started in midfield last time around, and we could see the duo continue in the middle of the park for the Gunners against Chelsea.
Mattéo Guendouzi, Dani Ceballos and Joe Willock are the other players that Arteta can call up in the middle of the park.
Mesut Ozil should retain his place in the Arsenal team in the attacking midfield role.
Attack
Gabriel Martinelli had a good game on the left side last time around, scoring the only goal of the game. He should start, with Alexandre Lacazette leading the line. Nicolas Pépé should feature on the right wing.
