Chelsea FC will be seeking revenge against their crosstown rivals Arsenal in midweek, while at the same time focusing on maintaining their position in the top four. Arsenal surprisingly won the reverse fixture, at a time when they were hovering just above the drop zone.
Now they’re squarely midtable, and set to miss out on European football for the first time in a quarter century next season. As for Chelsea, they’ll square off against Manchester City, who they just beat this past weekend in the league, 19 days from now in the Champions League final. A win there ensures the Blues a return to the UCL next season.
London Derby FYIs
Kickoff: 8:15pm GMT, Wed May 12, Stamford Bridge
Starting XI Predictions: Chelsea Arsenal
PL Form Guide: Chelsea WWWDW Arsenal WWLDW
PL Position: Chelsea 3rd, 64 points Arsenal 9th, 52 points
Odds: Arsenal win 4/1, Draw 29/10, Chelsea win 4/6
The other route back is to hold on to their place in the top four, and given how they’re six points ahead of West Ham, with fourth place Leicester City wedged between them, this scenario is looking good too.
In putting together our starting lineup prediction, one has to eyeball the team Thomas Tuchel selected at Manchester City with the weekend winner. Billy Gilmour and Hakim Ziyech were given starts while Callum Hudson-Odoi came on off the bench.
We’re not expecting any member of that triad to get a starting assignment here, but hey, you just never know.
Chelsea Starting XI Prediction (3-4-2-1) vs Arsenal: Mendy; Zouma, Rudiger Azpilicueta; Kante, Jorginho, James, Chilwell; Mount, Pulisic, Havertz
Chelsea 2, Arsenal 1
Did we mention that Arsenal are in dire straits right now? And just how much the Blues will be motivated for this one?
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.