Arsenal vs Chelsea Betting Pick | English Other

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2018-01-24 - Arsenal vs Chelsea

A Sports Betting Pick by Auls

Arsenal v Chelsea
Football: English League Cup Semi Final Second Leg
Wednesday 24th January 2018 - Kick Off 8pm
This game is live on TV

Arsenal

Arsene Wenger is hoping the departure of Alexis Sanchez is going to mend the friction that had seemingly developed inside the Arsenal dressing room in recent weeks. It has been suggested that not all of Sanchez' former team mates will be too disappointed to see the back of the Chilean superstar and Arsenal responded with a 4-1 crushing of Crystal Palace this past weekend.

However The Gunners were beaten 2-1 without Sanchez at Bournemouth the week before as their battle for a top four spot in the Premier League looks like one that Arsenal will struggle to win. The Cup competitions have thus become even more important for Wenger and the fans and Arsenal can make it through to the League Cup Final if they can beat Chelsea in the Second Leg of the Semi Final to be played on Wednesday.

Arsenal snapped a run of 5 games without a win in all competitions by hammering Crystal Palace with four goals scored in the first twenty-two minutes. That result also means Arsenal are unbeaten in 6 at the Emirates Stadium in all competitions and they have won 4 of those games too.

Aaron Ramsey and Danny Welbeck are hoping to return to the Arsenal squad in time for this fixture. Henrikh Mkhitaryan has signed from Manchester United, but is cup tied for the Semi Final and will make his debut in the Premier League next week.

Chelsea

Antonio Conte has cut a frustrated figure in his press conferences with his testiness clear to all those who have arrived at Cobham in the last couple of weeks. A run of games without a win had increased the frustration of the manager but he will be feeling a lot better as Chelsea thumped Brighton 0-4 at the Amex Stadium on Saturday.

Finishing in the top four of the Premier League table is the least the club will be desiring, while Chelsea continue making progress in all three Cup competitions they have entered. This week the focus turns to the two domestic Cup competitions as Chelsea play Newcastle United in the FA Cup on Sunday, but first have the Second Leg of the Semi Final of the League Cup to play. The Blues have beaten Nottingham Forest, Everton and Bournemouth on their way to the Semi Final.

Chelsea are unbeaten in 12 games in all competitions but they had drawn 5 in a row in normal time until the win at Brighton snapped that run. The side had won just 1 of 6 away games in all competitions prior to the win at the Amex Stadium and Chelsea also snapped a run of 3 consecutive away draws in that fixture.

Thibaut Courtois, Andreas Christensen and Danny Drinkwater are all hoping to return from injury in time for this fixture. Both Pedro and Alvaro Morata are available after sitting out through suspension, but Gary Cahill and Cesc Fabregas are doubts.

Head to Head

Arsenal and Chelsea are meeting for the fifth time this season and the previous games have all ended in draws in normal time.

Only one of those games was played at the Emirates Stadium and that fixture ended 2-2 earlier this month.

Arsenal are unbeaten in 5 overall against Chelsea and have lost 1 of their last 5 at the Emirates Stadium against their London rivals.

Prediction

The Alexis Sanchez saga has come to an end at Arsenal and it is up to the players to prove that they are able to produce the quality to replace one of the best players in the Premier League.

It is a big challenge ahead for Arsene Wenger who is once again under pressure from sections of the fanbase who feel he should have moved on as manager some time ago. A Premier League title challenge is long gone and finishing outside of the top four would be a huge blow for the club.

However there is a chance Arsenal can replicate what Manchester United did last season by winning the League Cup and Europa League which would be a very successful season for the club. It would mean trophies and a place back in the Champions League so this League Cup Semi Final Second Leg is a very important one for the entire club.

It is no less important for Chelsea and Antonio Conte who has been under pressure during a run where the side have drawn too many games. That has put them in a tough spot when it comes to challenging for a top four berth in the Premier League and Chelsea also have a lot of football coming up with League Cup, FA Cup and Champions League commitments to come.

Even with that in mind, the team selections made by Conte shows how much he wants to see Chelsea progress in all the competitions they have entered. A strong team is expected to start at the Emirates Stadium too, but there has to be a concern at the poor Chelsea run against Arsenal since the FA Cup Final last season.

Chelsea lost that Final and have drawn all 4 games against Arsenal this season. They should have won with the chances created at the Emirates Stadium earlier this month though and that should give the players belief they can achieve a big result in this Second Leg.

Both teams will feel they can create chances against the other with the way they have matched up and I don't think there will be a lot between them in the ninety minutes. For the most part Arsenal and Chelsea have played tight games, but the Second Leg of the League Cup Semi Final could be a more open one.

These teams drew 2-2 here in early January which means the last couple of games between them at the Emirates Stadium have both ended with at least three goals shared out. I will look for the Wednesday game to go the same way as both teams will be desperate to earn their place at Wembley Stadium for the League Cup Final.