Chelsea are coming off an emphatic 6-0 victory in the midweek against Azerbaijani Champions Qarabag FK. The Blues rested several key players for that match in preparation for the London Derby against Arsenal and despite that won comfortably.
Arsenal, on the other hand, started their Europa League campaign on a winning note beating FC Koln 3-1.
The London Derby at Stamford Bridge has been a particularly tough one for Arsenal to win in recent years with the last victory coming 6 years ago when Robin Van Persie scored a hat-trick to seal a dazzling 5-3 win.
Here are a few key battles as Chelsea look to make it four wins on the trot in the Premier League.
1) Alvaro Morata vs Shkodran Mustafi:
The Spaniard has been in brilliant form and he will be happy to score 3 goals already this season. Although Eden Hazard joked about him scoring with only his head, it does not really matter as long as the goals keep coming. Against Arsenal, he comes up against Shkodran Mustafi who is a very intelligent defender. Morata usually uses his cleverness more than strength to get away from defenders but Mustafi is not one to outsmarted easily too. Intriguing battle awaits.
2) Alexandre Lacazette vs David Luiz:
Lacazette too has started his stint in England in a decent manner. He announced himself with a goal within 2 minutes of the start of the Premier League and scored with a beautiful curler against Bournemouth last weekend as well. The French international is getting involved in the link-up play and is looking like a great signing now. David Luiz will be looking to stop the former Lyon striker from scoring more. The Brazilian slots in the heart of Chelsea’s back three and plays a key role in cutting out attacks. He will need to be wary of Lacazette’s intelligent movements and deal with them if he has to come out on top in this battle.
3) N’Golo Kante vs Mesut Ozil:
N’Golo Kante is looking like an even better player than last season and that in itself is an achievement for the Frenchman. He is improving with the ball at his feet and is turning into a complete midfielder.  His main task for this game will be to stop Mesut Ozil. The German is the main creative hub at Arsenal and has created more chances in the Premier League since his arrival than anyone else. The winner of this tete-a-tete could very well decide which way the match goes.
