Arsenal ‘fully ready’ for big London derby against Chelsea, says Mikel Arteta

LONDON – Buoyant English Premier League leaders Arsenal will head to Stamford Bridge on Nov 30 to take on second-placed Chelsea, showing clear signs they are finally equipped to end their two-decade title drought.

It is still early in the season – with just 12 matches played – but the Gunners are six points clear of the Blues and will aim to make it nine with a victory.

Top of the Premier League and in pole position in the Champions League – Mikel Arteta’s men are proving that this season could be special.

Analysts Opta give the Gunners a 76.2 per cent chance of winning the Premier League for the first time since 2004, when Arsene Wenger was manager.

Arteta stayed grounded after the impressive 3-1 win over German giants Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Nov 26, immediately switching his focus to the match at Chelsea.

On Nov 28, he warned against complacency, insisting that the Blues are more than worthy of being title contenders.

“I think they fully deserve where they are and the squad they assemble in (the) last few years. The manager and coaching staff that they have, they deserve to be there,” he said.

“It’s a big game, it is a big London derby. They are in really good form. We know the challenge and the opportunity we have on Sunday, so we are fully ready.”

The midweek win over six-time European champions Bayern at the Emirates showcased the Gunners’ impressive strength in depth.

Two of the goals came from substitutes – Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli – while Arsenal are still missing a clutch of first-team players, including Gabriel Magalhaes, Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres.

Leandro Trossard could be available after limping off against Bayern.

But Arteta is also happy with the resources at his disposal, saying: “You have to be able to perform in the manner that they did individually throughout long periods of the game against that opponent (Bayern), and that’s very, very difficult to do.

“That’s the way I felt about the players, how I feel about the players, and now it’s about finding again the same consistency on Sunday.”

The Gunners are probably a more complete team now than they have been over the past three seasons, when they finished runners-up in the Premier League consecutively.

Former Arsenal midfielder Ray Parlour, part of the 2003-04 “Invincibles”, believes that Arteta’s side are in a strong position to win the league this campaign.

“I certainly believe we are one of the best teams in Europe now, but you don’t want to be too confident sometimes,” he told Sports Mole in an exclusive interview.

“Arsenal have done the job, they’re comfortably through to the next stages (in the Champions League with a perfect five wins), they can sit back, relax and concentrate on the league. Manchester City and Liverpool are dropping points, but Chelsea at the moment are only six points behind. If Chelsea win, then suddenly it’s three and it’s nothing, but nine points is quite a gap.

“The good thing about it now, the players are coming back and the bench can change the game sometimes, which is brilliant. Not many clubs can do that.”

Chelsea, meanwhile, will be buoyed by their 3-0 Champions League win over Barcelona on Nov 25, which showed signs that manager Enzo Maresca is completing the puzzle at Stamford Bridge.

He had more good news on Nov 28, saying Cole Palmer will be fit to start against Arsenal after more than two months on the sidelines.

The Italian has said that he hopes the atmosphere at home will be a key factor in the match against Arsenal, and called for fans to back his team again like they did against Barca.

“The environment (against Barcelona) was top,” Maresca said. “Now we have another big game (against Arsenal) and it’s for this reason we will need the same environment on Sunday.”

Chelsea have lost five of their last seven clashes, with the last two meetings at Stamford Bridge ending in draws.

Arsenal are unbeaten on their last six visits to their opponents’ home ground, while they have incredibly lost only three of their last 40 London derbies.

The odds favour the Gunners, but it is still a top-of-the-table clash and the Blues should not be underestimated. AFP, REUTERS