EPL: Arsenal, Chelsea Revive Rivalry In London Derby

Two longtime Premier League midfield generals meet for the first time as managers when Arsenal and Chelsea tangle in a London Derby, with Frank Lampard and Mikel Arteta badly needing victory at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal drew 1-1 on Boxing Day in Arteta’s first match in charge of the Gunners, while Chelsea lost 2-0 to Southampton at Stamford Bridge on the same day. An Arsenal win would therefore open the door for either Sheffield United or Tottenham Hotspur to move into the Top Four

For the third time this season Chelsea will face a team helped by a new manager and the past two experiences do not bode well for Frank Lampard’s side.
Sunday afternoon’s trip to Emirates Stadium will see Mikel Arteta take charge of his first home game as Arsenal head coach.

And having lost to Valencia and Everton, both boosted by new faces in the dugout, Lampard will be desperate to avoid a third loss to a set of players looking to impress, especially with their grip on fourth position loosened by the Boxing Day defeat at home to Southampton

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The Spanish side won 1-0 at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League Group H opener back in mid-September with Albert Celades taking charge of just his second game.
Valencia were in disarray at the time and their players were staging a silent protest but they still came out on top as Ross Barkley missed a late penalty.

Everton, meanwhile, were buoyed by Duncan Ferguson being put in interim charge following Marco Silva’s sacking earlier this month. At a racuous Goodison Park, the hosts dominated Chelsea to win 3-1.
Arteta started off his spell in charge of the Gunners with yesterday’s 1-1 draw away to Bournemouth.

Frank Lampard is expected to make several changes following the loss to Southampton, a third home defeat in four, with Mason Mount and Mateo Kovacic both set to return to the starting line-up.

Frank Lampard was left frustrated once again as his Chelsea side fell to a 2-0 defeat at home to Southampton on Boxing Day.

Michael Obafemi opened the scoring for the Saints in the first half, before Nathan Redmond secured a vital three points for the visitors, who executed their game plan perfectly at Stamford Bridge.

The defeat means Chelsea’s advantage over Tottenham in the race for the Premier League top four is now back to three points, with Spurs bouncing back from their defeat to the Blues by beating Brighton 2-1 in the early kick-off.