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Moises Caicedo reacts
Moises Caicedo is among Chelsea's most important players
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Chelsea are well-positioned for their London derby clash against Arsenal thanks to their impressive 3-0 victory against Barcelona. The Blues enjoyed their biggest Champions League win of the season when they easily dispatched the Spanish giants on Tuesday.
The victory at Stamford Bridge followed what has been good form from Enzo Maresca's side, who shot up to second in the Premier League following their 2-0 win against Burnley at Turf Moor this past weekend.
After just two wins in their opening six league games, Chelsea have earned five victories in their next six to announce themselves as the closest challengers to Mikel Arteta's side, despite the six-point difference between the two teams.
Caicedo admission
Sunday afternoon's match could very well be defined by the midfield battle between Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice. Both players are integral to their teams and have been discussed among the best midfielders in the Premier League and Europe.
While they both set their respective clubs back over £100million in the 2023 summer transfer window, that's where the similarities end, according to Rice, who sounded off on comparisons that have been made about their style of play.
It was after Arsenal's 3-1 win over Bayern Munich on Wednesday that the England star told CBS Sports: "First and foremost, I have a lot of respect for Moises. I have played against him since the Brighton days, since I was at West Ham.
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"I voted him last year in my PFA TOTY, I thought he was outstanding last year, and he has started this year incredibly well. There’s so much comparison, but we are playing different positions — he’s a full-blown six and I am more of a box-to-box eight."
When previewing the weekend clash, Rice added: "Sunday is going to be an interesting game, but the most important thing is I have a lot of respect for him as a player, like Roy [Keane] and Patrick [Vieira] did. It’s an exciting battle between us, and it’s one I’ll be ready for, for sure."
Hostile reaction
The player transfer pipeline between Chelsea and Arsenal has been quite the active one in recent years with Noni Madueke the latest to make the switch across the capital. The England winger made his return on Wednesday after several weeks out with injury and netted his first goal for the club in the win against the Bundesliga champions.
Madueke, 23, had spent two-and-a-half years at Chelsea where he netted 20 goals in 92 games and will be in contention to play against his former side in his first trip to Stamford Bridge since leaving this past summer.
Noni Madueke of Arsenal celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD5 match between Arsenal FC and FC Bayern München
Noni Madueke isn't reading too much into a potentially hostile atmosphere at Stamford Bridge on Sunday
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Admitting the atmosphere could be "hostile" upon his return, Madueke instead put the focus on widening Arsenal's gap at the top of the table. He said: "For me, it is another game, honestly. The fixture is not about me. The fixture is about Arsenal getting another three points in the league and being closer to our objective.
"That is honestly how I think about it. It might be a little bit hostile, it might not be, but I am a professional footballer. I have played in loads of atmospheres. I don’t know if anything will faze me. I will just be focused on the task.
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