Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has admitted he has no idea about the tactics he thinks Liam Rosenior will bring as Chelsea make the trip to the Emirates tomorrow.
Arteta is the only manager who has been able to defeat Rosenior since he took over as Chelsea boss, and Sunday brings up the third meeting between the two sides.
The Englishman copped some stick for his approach to their most recent clash, opting to sit back and really go for the EFL Cup semi-final second leg in the final 30 minutes or so.
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Mikel Arteta admits he has no idea how Chelsea will set up against Arsenal
When asked in his pre-match press conference what he expected from the Blues this time around, Arteta stated that he didn’t know because of the club’s ability to set up different ways during any game.
He said: “We don’t know – I mean, they’ve done different things, they can change throughout the game.
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“They have the players and they have a manager who is very comfortable doing that – so we’re prepared, we’re going to be prepared for the possible scenarios that we can face throughout the game, and try to do better than them.”
The EFL cup semi-finals two legs saw Chelsea bring a completely different approach, and end up being beaten both times.
In truth, after looking to go toe-to-toe with the Gunners in the first leg at Stamford Bridge, they should have been completely out of the tie, had it not been for Alejandro Garnacho’s brace.
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One tactic which has to be under consideration is going to a back five in an attempt to nullify Arsenal’s attacking forces.
This could see Enzo Fernandez drop to the bench. He is the one player who looked really out of place when they last travelled to the Emirates.
It is the first time Chelsea can go into a game against Arsenal with Reece James, Moises Caicedo and Cole Palmer all fit and firing, and all three will be crucial in the Blues picking up an unlikely result on Sunday.
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