3. Alexis Sanchez vs. Eden Hazard
Alexis Sanchez and Eden Hazard often play as second strikers to the strong strikers in their respective teams – Olivier Giroud and Diego Costa, respectively, and sprint their way into the opposition third to shoot. An injury to Diego Costa, and Giroud’s tendency to fade away in major matches mean that Sanchez and Hazard will be handling their sides’ attacks, and will have to add creativity and accuracy to their respective attacks to keep their sides in the game. Sanchez, like his ex-Barcelona teammate, Cesc Fabregas, has made the transition to the Premier League with ease, and has been prolific for Arsenal, adding a fighting edge that has lacked for Arsenal in recent times. Hazard, on the other hand, has gone from strength to strength in his development, and is easily one of the best players in the world at the moment, as his skills of conjuring a goal or creating an assist from half-chances, is exceptional.
Most of all, the rivalry between the managers has been well-documented, as Arsenal fans have had to accept the taunts dished out by Chelsea fans after every loss. Wenger, the longest-serving manager of any club in the Premier League at the moment, and the pioneer of the one-touch football that has been the norm at Arsenal, has been unable to get the better of Jose Mourinho’s unpredictable mind-games and unbeatable tactics, which have taken away games from Arsenal before they have even begun, by adding focal points to thwart Arsenal. This week, the mind-games have not been publicized in the media, as both teams are looking to prove their points on the pitch on Sunday.