Chelsea vs Arsenal Match Preview
Chelsea and Arsenal will go head to head on Saturday in a high profile London derby at Stamford Bridge.
Third placed Chelsea will be looking to win to keep up the pressure on the league leaders, while Arsenal have climbed to seventh and will be looking for their third straight win in Premier League play.
Brazilian midfielder Ramires will return from a knee injury for Chelsea, while striker Didier Drogba is suspended. Spanish striker Fernando Torres returns from suspension and could be the replacement for Drogba.
Captain John Terry will start in defense for Chelsea, and again finds himself under the spotlight after he was accused of racism this week by Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand.
Andre Villas-Boas has no concerns over the state of mind of Terry, and described the incident as “a misunderstanding” in a pre-match press conference.
Central defender Thomas Vermaelen could make a welcome return from injury for Arsenal, while Kieran Gibbs is an injury absentee. Carl Jenkinson is an injury doubt for the Gunners and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.
Park Chu-Young is challenging for a place in the Gunners attack, and boosted his case for inclusion with a goal in the midweek Carling Cup win over Bolton Wanderers. “He is ready to play in league games,” Wenger told BBC Sport about the South Korean international striker.