Arsenal saw themselves knocked off the top of the Premier League table by Manchester City at the weekend, but can reclaim the lead with victory over Chelsea on Tuesday night.
Mikel Arteta’s men have led the way for the majority of the current campaign, but an ill-timed four-match winless run - culminating with their thrashing at the Etihad last week - has seen their lead evaporate. Now, one point behind Pep Guardiola’s side and having played a game more, the Gunners know there can be no more missteps, and will see their badly out-of-form London rivals as the ideal opposition to get themselves back on track.
"Now it is not in our hands," Arteta said. "What is in our hands is to win our games. That's what we try to do and the rest is down to City. I know what we're trying to do. We have the nicest part of the season to play with five games to go. This is not over. I would pay a lot of money to be in this position next season, believe me."
Chelsea have lost all five games since Graham Potter was removed and replaced by Frank Lampard, and their miserable season cannot end soon enough. They arrive at the Emirates sitting 12th in the league table, closer to the relegation placed than the European spots.
Thus, Arsenal enter the fixture - moved from Saturday to Tuesday night late in the day on police advice - as heavy favourites. But questions have been asked of what changes, if any, Arteta needs to make to get his team back to winning ways.
Certainly it won’t be in goal where Aaron Ramsdale is the undisputed No.1. But William Saliba’s injury has certainly left issues in defence, with 12 goals conceded in Arsenal’s last four league games.
Without the young Frenchman, they’ve looked less composed in possession and more vulnerable without it; it was clear watching Saliba this term that he was an excellent centre-back, but the issues without him have made his quality that much more clear.
Saliba remains absent - "He’s not going to be involved and we will have to wait until the next game to see where we are," said Arteta on Monday - and that has caused quite the defensive headache, one that has only grown in his absence.
With Arteta not wanting to play £20million January signing Jakub Kiwior alongside Gabriel - owing to both being left-footed - Rob Holding has been deputising for Saliba and has struggled.
Questions have subsequently been asked about Ben White tucking back in from right-back to the centre-half position where he was first-choice last term and that is a decision that Arteta will again have to make: Stick with Holding, or move White across? Without Takehiro Tomiyasu still, it’s likely he continues to stick.
Oleksandr Zinchenko struggled against his former club and Kieran Tierney is pushing for a recall to the starting lineup, amid continued questions over the Scot's long-term future.
The midfield and attack largely picks itself, late fitness issues permitting. The only questions are whether Arteta feels that the experience of Jorginho is required, or whether Leandro Trossard's cameo appearance in Manchester justifies a start.
Predicted Arsenal Starting XI: Ramsdale; White, Holding, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Partey, Xhaka; Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli; Jesus.
