England’s top two clash in the weekend’s final Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday (at 11am ET on NBCSN).
Hosts Arsenal are the more in-form side coming into this match although form rarely counts for anything in these sort of fixtures.
The Gunners have won their last eight matches in the league and are in the final of the FA Cup for a record 19th time after defeating Reading in the semi-final last Saturday
On a personal level, Arsene Wenger will be seeking for his first ever victory over Jose Mourinho who famously branded him a specialist in failure last season. Mourinho currently has seven wins and five draws from 12 competitive matches.
Chelsea on the other hand are a sure bet for the league trophy after beating Manchester United 1-0 to extend the gap at the top to a massive 10 points.
The Blues need just two wins from their remaining six games to effectively conclude this seasons’ title race.
A win at the Emirates will put the Blues within touching distance of their fifth league title ahead of the midweek game at home to Leicester City.
Team News
Arsene Wenger has the majority of his squad available with the exception of Per Mertesacker who has a 50-50 chance of playing. We expect Gabriel Paulista to start alongside Laurent Koscielny if the German is not fit enough.
Mikel Arteta has returned to training after a lengthy layoff but this game comes too soon for him while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is sidelined with an ankle injury. Olivier Giroud is expected back in the starting XI after he started from the bench against Reading.
Chelsea have no new injury worries to speak of. The major absentee will be Diego Costa who continues his recovery from a hamstring problem. Loic Remy is also a doubt which means Didier Drogba could lead the line once again.
John Obi Mikel is fully fit and available for selection but Mourinho is expected to stick with Zouma and Matic in midfield while Hazard, Fabregas and Willian fill the three positions behind the striker. Thibaut Courtois will be in goal for the Blues.
Predicted Lineups
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