Chelsea v Arsenal - Rival Rendezvous

A few seasons back, this particular encounter could have been showcased as a potential six-pointer or a title-decider but most of the Red and White devotees would agree that such is not the case any more. Arsenal travel to Stamford Bridge with a run-of-form which reads seven wins in the last eight games in all competitions, while Chelsea sit tight in the Top-Four with a new managerAi??redefiningAi??the game played at Stamford Bridge. There is always pressure on the players to perform in these derbies and this won’t be any different.

TheHardTackle team indulges in some friendly banter before these big games and keeping with the spirit of the game, exchanges Q&A in orderly fashion. Chelsea FC flag-bearer Sanish Fernandez (SF) goes one-on-one with the man wearing the Red & White for a long, long time, Sounak Mukherjee (SM).

The Q&A session follows, fasten your seat-belts and enjoy as SF starts proceedings.

SF: Chelsea and Arsenal both had games last weekend that seemed to go against their run of form. Chelsea lost to Queens Park Rangers, while Arsenal won handily against Stoke. Is there a feeling at the Emirates Stadium that Arsenal have turned a corner?

SM:Ai??To be honest, it would be jumping the gun if we say Arsenal has turned the corner, but the Gunners have embarked on a very important journey towards respectability as far as league positions are concerned. We have won seven of the last eight games played in all competitions, which means the team has got back some lost confidence, the new players are getting into the groove while young guns are showing their mettle as always in the lesser competitions.

SF:Ai??A lot of loyal Gooners seem relieved to hear that Drogba will have to sit this game out. Does that mean you fancy your chances better against an attack fronted by Torres, regardless of whether heai??i??s regaining some semblance of form?

SM: Didier Drogbaai??i??s record against Arsenal is absolutely impeccable; for some strange reason, the Ivory Coast man have always fancied scoring against us over the years. He has had managed to bully our defenders over the past decade but unfortunately, for him, he wonai??i??t be able to take the field against us for a moment of stupidity last week. As far as the fans are concerned, they are most certainly relieved that Drogba wonai??i??t be making it to the starting line-up. Having said that, we canai??i??t ignore the Spanish striker; Fernando Torres is returning back to his old-self slowly and steadily. He is capable of match-winning moments on his own which we are all aware of.

SF: Would you be happy with just a point from this encounter considering you are playing away at Stamford Bridge? Will such a result effectively doom you to a non-top 4 finish this season?

SM: No, one point is just not enough right now. For the cynics, it will be another excuse to label this season as a hopeless one, though the team has shown admirable mental strength to stitch a series of good results. Arsenal need to continue their good form, which means beating a little shaky Chelsea team at their own den becomes an essential target.

Considering, we donai??i??t pick up any points or manage to draw the game at the Bridge, it certainly wonai??i??t be heart-breaking for the manager. The season is still not half over, there are around 80 points to play for, Arsenal just needs to maintain a very good home form and try to pick as many as they can down the road.

SF:Ai??Is it possible that Arsenal with some of its biggest names having left the club can now play with lesser pressure on them? Would you say Chelsea are more desperate than Arsenal are, going into this clash?

SM: Arsenal is a big club with a rich history, an extremely successful manager, a talented squad and very demanding fans, they can never play without pressure. In fact, Arsene is under more pressure than ever, every match of Arsenal is like a ai???Cup Finalai??i?? for the genteel Frenchman, his credibility is on the line like never before.

Chelsea, on the other hand, have a new manager, so they can let the man have one season of strategizing and theory-based implementation before targeting the top honors next season. So, according to me, Chelsea is under much lesser pressure than Arsenal to perform on the big stage.

SF:Ai?? Would Chelsea’s new game plan of playing a high-tempo pressing game as opposed to our usual staid resilient style, play to Wenger’s beautiful game strengths?

SM: Most certainly, if any team lets Arsenal play their game, it is beneficial for us. The more the opponents sit deep and defend, it gets extremely hard for Arsenal to break through such a system. With only one striker in the line-up, Arsenal doesnai??i??t even have a Plan B; if Plan A doesnai??i??t work, Arsenal doesnai??i??t work, it is that simple. On the other hand, Chelseaai??i??s pressing game can make life much difficult for the relatively new midfield system at Arsenal, which leaves us in a Catch-22 situation, nothing looks definite.

The 2-1 win at the Bridge. Can Arsenal do it again?

The table has turned now, SM can have a dig at his Blue counterpart.

SM: Personnel aside, strategy-wise, what has been the biggest difference between AVB and Ancelotti as far as gameplay is concerned? Are fans more pleased with AVB’s approach to the game?

SF:Ai??In my opinion, Andre Villas-Boas is much more tactically astute than Ancelotti is. As an ardent student of the game, Andre Villas-Boas seems to get a lot of his tactical decisions correct be it with regard to rotation of players or a plan B when under duress. I think a lot of fans have come around to appreciate the tactical nous of Villas-Boas after the teamai??i??s gutsy down-to-9-men second half performance against Queens Park Rangers. Thatai??i??s what sets the two of them apart.

Ancelotti deserves credit for unshackling the team and letting them score goals with reckless abandon. But when under duress, when having to deal with injuries or players being sent off, Villas-Boas thrives while Ancelotti tended to come up short. Villas-Boasai??i?? ability to break the perceived player-power regime in the dressing room will also be a pleasant plus-point for fans. And Villas-Boas also outscores Ancelotti in involving the younger players in the game.

SM:Ai??With the tremendous success of Manchester City in the league and the inevitable challenge from Manchester United, how realistic are Chelsea fans towards winning the title this time?

SF:Ai??Chelsea fans, like those of Manchester United, will undeniably be unnerved by the strength and depth Manchester City have shown thus far. Manciniai??i??s men have shown they are quite capable of winning this league by a massive margin, the likes of which havenai??i??t been seen recently. But this is still early days in the league, and Chelsea fans will be glad their team is, for once, not the one under the spotlight.

If Manchester City implode mid-season, Chelsea stand a good chance of taking advantage of any instability at the top of the league. On that front, Chelsea fans are realistic enough to realize any chances of winning this seasonai??i??s title will not come about courtesy a coronation, but more likely through an opportunistic usurping of the throne. We need to bide our time and keep our heads above water.

SM: An old Didier Drogba, still capable of match-winning moments or still-not-in-the-groove Fernando Torres. From a fans’ perspective, who is the ideal choice to lead the pack at Stamford Bridge?

SF: Since this is Arsenal, and Didier seems to bring his A-game every time we face Arsenal, Iai??i??m tempted to choose Didier. However, this is not the same team, the Ivorian is used to leading the charge with. Didier struggled against Queens Park Rangers in a Chelsea line-up that intends to play a lot more like Barcelona than the Chelsea of the past.

Mata, Ramires, Sturridge are playing increasingly important roles in the game, and their presence could arguably be seen as being more conducive to Fernando Torres as centre-forward. Didier might have been the safe choice against Arsenal, but Torres will make an interesting proposition.

SM: Going into this game against Arsenal, can over-confidence spoil the party for Chelsea? They are surely not taking Arsenal seriously this time, right?

SF: Chelsea are hardly over-confident now. Iai??i??m more concerned about Chelsea suffering a QPR-related hangover. Had we waltzed past Queens Park Rangers and Everton midweek, we might have been accused of taking Arsenal lightly. But not considering these current circumstances.

Far from taking Arsenal lightly, Chelsea might be guilty of doing the opposite. They need to play the Gunners with a cool head. Wengerai??i??s men are perceived to be a lithe and, dare I say, fragile lot so any physical tussles on the field are likely to be viewed to Chelseaai??i??s detriment.

Arsenal seem to have shaken off their worst, and have given a good account of themselves against Stoke. So it will boil down to which teams wants a victory more.

SM:Ai??A strange game against QPR last week, do you think it was just a One-Off case? How strong mentally is this Chelsea team?

SF:I think Chelsea showed tremendous mental-strength and fortitude after being hard done by some inexplicable decisions by Chris Foy. The fact a 9-man team could dominate proceedings in the second half, while spurning gilt-edged opportunities to score, show the Blues can perform with their backs to the wall.

How cool they stay under pressure is another matter altogether. The signs are not flattering, if the collective loss of heads against QPR is anything to go by. Chelsea are playing at home, so that might be another calming influence on the side.

The off-the-field battles will go on, the 90 minutes at Stamford Bridge is what matters the most. Hoping to see a great game of football.