Breaking new: “you have to start him or else the victory will belong to the opponent”- arsenal icon lan wright has instructed Mikel Arteta to unleash arsenal ‘difference maker’ to limit Enzo Fernandez’s influence in the game
Gary Neville and Ian Wright have predicted who will come out on top when Chelsea lock horns with Arsenal. The Blues will welcome Mikel Arteta’s side to Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon in what is expected to be a blockbuster London derby.
Chelsea head into the clash this weekend off the back of an impressive 4-1 win against Burnley. Raheem Sterling, who’s enjoyed a bright start to the Premier League campaign, guided the west Londoners to victory at Turf Moor, offering his hand in three goals.
While Chelsea snatched three-points from Vincent Kompany’s newly-promoted side, the Gunners stormed past the reigning champions Manchester City. Arsenal have boasted an unbeaten start to the English top-flight, dropping points in draws with only Tottenham and Fulham.
Mauricio Pochettino will be desperate to bring the north Londoners’ streak to an end, however neither Neville or Wright have backed Chelsea to win. When asked for a score prediction on The Overlap, the former Manchester United defender said: “1-1, after the international break.”
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet, the former Arsenal striker said: “I think we’re beating them. We always cause Chelsea problems at Stamford Bridge. I’m going to go with 3-1. No 2-1 Arsenal!”
David Raya has earned mixed reviews since joining Arsenal in the summer, but Wright has backed the Spaniard to be a key player against Chelsea. The 59-year-old added: “You could see the Arsenal fans getting frustrated with David Raya as they want him to pop the ball into midfield like we see Ederson do for Manchester City, but that isn’t what Mikel Arteta wants him to do.
“We see managers like Roberto de Zerbi and Mikel Arteta when their goalkeepers go long and lose possession, they hate it. His distribution was brilliant, and the Arsenal fans need to get used to the fact that he will take his time.
“I’ve seen some saves this season from David Raya where I think he’ll save us a few times this season, especially with his calm nature on the pitch and the way he comes for a ball and isn’t afraid to take everything out with him. A calmness which helps the back four.”
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