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Enzo Maresca will face another Pep Guardiola protege on Sunday as his Chelsea side takes on Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal.
The two former Manchester City assistants collide for the first time in their managerial careers, with Maresca aiming to move three points clear of the supposed title hopefuls with a victory at Stamford Bridge.
It was a chastening occasion for the Blues the last time these two capital rivals faced off, but the feeling surrounding Chelsea is much brighter heading into Sunday’s bout compared to what it was in April.
Mauricio Pochettino was without Cole Palmer as the west Londoners were thumped 5-0 at the Emirates, and there are doubts over the Englishman’s status for the upcoming contest. With that in mind, here’s the team Maresca could pick for Arsenal’s visit this weekend.
GK: Robert Sanchez – The Spaniard was drawn into committing another error last weekend, but it seems as if Maresca will continue to stick by Sanchez, who must enjoy an uptick in form soon.
RB: Reece James – There could be a reshuffle in the backline given Malo Gusto’s woes at Old Trafford last weekend. James is surely better suited to taking up more advanced positions given his wicked crossing delivery and impressive ball-striking.
CB: Wesley Fofana – The aggressive French defender will meet fire with fire as he faces up against former teammate Kai Havertz on Sunday. Fofana was out injured when Chelsea succumbed to a beating in north London the last time these two met.
CB: Levi Colwill – Colwill was also absent from April’s 5-0 battering but has been a constant in Maresca’s Premier League XI this season. He’ll be tasked with providing support down the left with Bukayo Saka continuing to serve as Arsenal’s main man.
LB: Marc Cucurella – Cucurella’s sound performance one-on-one against Saka in the Euro 2024 final may convince the Chelsea boss to utilise him in a specialist role on Sunday.
CM: Moises Caicedo – He’ll want to show off his much-improved form on the big occasion again this weekend. Caicedo was outstanding in the 1-1 draw at Man Utd.
CM: Romeo Lavia – Lavia complements Caicedo superbly, and the pair have established a healthy dynamic in the middle of the park. Enzo Fernandez’s assist-laden display against Noah on Thursday will not be enough to bring him back into the team.
RM: Noni Madueke – Madueke’s enduring a bit of a lull after an excellent start to the season, and he has his work cut out if he’s to get the better of one-on-one master Jurrien Timber this weekend.
AM: Cole Palmer – Palmer hasn’t done much training in the build-up to Sunday’s game after he was caught by Lisandro Martinez late on in last weekend’s draw at United. However, Maresca has provided optimism on his status for Sunday and it’d be a surprise to see him left out.
LM: Pedro Neto – The midweek regular earned a breather on Thursday which would point towards another Premier League start on Sunday. Neto has usurped Jadon Sancho in the pecking order.
ST: Nicolas Jackson – The former Villarreal forward is proving his worth in Chelsea colours, and he’ll be key to a Blues triumph on Sunday. He continues to blossom in tandem with Palmer, who’s superb at picking out the willing Jackson in behind.
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