Arsenal vs Chelsea
Arsenal and Chelsea are set to go head-to-head on Sunday afternoon.
On paper, it is the current Champions League holders who look to be favourites for the tie.
Chelsea have been one of the most in form teams in Europe since Thomas Tuchel took over back in January and would start their season by picking up the Super Cup and then smashing Crystal Palace 3-0 on the opening weekend of the Premier League season.
Arsenal, meanwhile, would be dealt a rather embarrassing defeat at the hands of newly-promoted Brentford in what was the Bees’ first-ever Premier League match.
However, Arsenal fans will take some solace in the fact Mikel Arteta has a very good record against the Blues.
His Arsenal beat them 2-1 in the FA Cup in August of 2020, then 3-1 in the league in December and then 1-0 in the league back in May of this year – the latter of those wins coming when Tuchel was in the Chelsea dugout.
Where will Martinelli play?
Now, ahead of the game, we appear to have been provided some insight into who will play up top for Arsenal vs Chelsea.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette both missed out vs Brentford due to Covid-19. And as per an update from Arsenal on Thursday, Lacazette will remain out this weekend whilst ‘Auba’ needs to be assessed.
So, there is a good chance Folarin Balogun or Gabriel Martinelli could be in line to start up top on Sunday.
The former would do so vs Brentford, but spent much of the game isolated up top.
And now, Arsenal appear to have dropped the hint that Martinelli will instead be tasked with being the centre-forward vs Chelsea.
As per football.london, the Brazilian was pictured playing in the centre forward’s position in a recent Arsenal training session, perhaps an indication of where he is set to play against Chelsea?
It is added that Martinelli was spotted spending most of the game around the penalty box and looking to get on the end of balls played to him in the more central part of the goal.