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LONDON – Arsene Wenger admits record signing Mesut Ozil could do with a rest – but not until the mercurial German has been let loose on Chelsea in tonight’s mouth-watering pre-Christmas showdown.
The Arsenal boss has never found himself on the winning side in nine meetings with Jose Mourinho and his side need to rediscover their touch and re-establish a five-point lead over their London rivals following defeats by Manchester City and Napoli.
Ozil’s inventiveness has had a galvanising effect on the whole Arsenal team but the former Real Madrid star has shown signs of fatigue and would normally be looking forward to a winter break instead of a frenzied period of festive fixtures.
“In Germany and most of Europe they have Christmas off and at some stage I will have to give him a break,” said Wenger. “But Monday night? No.”
Wenger is at pains not to rekindle his notoriously frosty relationship with Mourinho. The pair have never hit it off but the Arsenal boss says that cannot be allowed to get in the way of what promises to be a juicy six-pointer.
“I don’t want to speak about that,” said Wenger. “What is important is the players.”
With Chelsea demonstrating uncharacteristic failings both in front of goal and at the back, Wenger sees tonight presenting a golden opportunity to at last put one over Mourinho – and use it as a springboard to kick on again.
“We’ve had a couple of disappointing results but we have been in much more difficult situations,” he added.
“I knew we could perhaps be in trouble against Man City, having played three big games in six days, and three games the week before. Now we have had a little breather.”
Arsenal team news
Arsenal will be without midfielder Jack Wilshere, who starts a two-match suspension, centre-half Laurent Koscielny is a major doubt after suffering a gash to his knee in the 6-3 defeat at Manchester City, but German forward Lukas Podolski is available again after three months out with a hamstring injury.
Forward Yaya Sanogo (back), midfielders Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Abou Diaby (both knee) are all still sidelined.
Provisional squad: Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Gibbs, Flamini, Arteta, Ramsey, Ozil, Walcott, Giroud, Fabianski, Monreal, Bendtner, Cazorla, Rosicky, Arteta, Jenkinson, Podolski, Gnabry, Koscielny.
Chelsea team news
Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole, who is considering his future amid reports that he could retire from the game, is to return to the substitutes’ bench at best for the crunch clash at his former club Arsenal.
With Branislav Ivanovic available after serving a one-match ban, the Serbia defender will return at right-back, with Cesar Azpilicueta reverting to left-back and Cole dropping out of the side.
Captain John Terry will also return, but Michael Essien is banned after picking up a fifth yellow card of the season at Sunderland and his fellow midfielder Marco van Ginkel (knee) is a long-term absentee.
Provisional squad: Cech, Ivanovic, Cole, Luiz, Ramires, Lampard, Torres, Mata, Oscar, Mikel, Schurrle, De Bruyne, Hazard, Ba, Willian, Schwarzer, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta, Eto’o, Blackman, Bertrand.
Big match stats
Arsenal won nine and lost none of their first 13 Premier League home games against Chelsea but have won just two and lost four of the last eight.
Chelsea have won eight and lost just two of the last 11 meetings with Arsenal in all competitions.
Jose Mourinho has never lost against Arsene Wenger as an opposition manager (W5 D4 L0).
Juan Mata has scored in each of his four starts against Arsenal in all competitions for Chelsea.
Chelsea have taken 11 points away from the Emirates Stadium, the joint-best haul of any team in the Premier League since the Gunners moved from Highbury (along with Aston Villa).
Theo Walcott scored his first ever Arsenal goal against Chelsea in the 2007 Carling Cup final and has since netted in three Premier League games against the Blues.
Chelsea have had 11 different managers since Arsene Wenger was appointed and 12 in total with Mourinho’s second spell. Jose Mourinho will be the fifth different manager Arsene Wenger has faced in the last six Chelsea v Arsenal fixtures.
Arsenal have not gone three Premier League fixtures without a win since January 2013; the third of those games was against Chelsea.
The Gunners have conceded as many goals in their last two Premier League games (7) as they had in the previous 13.
Chelsea have scored at least twice in each of their last six Premier League games (16 goals in total). – Mailonline.
Online Reporter