Chelsea still have four Premier League games to play before officially facing Juventus on April 15.
Their opponents are Southampton, Hull City, Stoke City, and Arsenal.
The first opponent, Southampton, has now revealed its weakness in the thickness of the lineup. The recent momentum is not as strong as it was at the beginning of the season, and its ranking in the standings has also dropped to seventh place.
Moreover, since the game against Southampton is at home, it is actually not a problem for Chelsea.
Therefore, in Chelsea's home game against Southampton in the 28th round of the Chelsea Premier League on March 15, Chelsea won the game relatively easily.
Although Southampton scored the first point with Pellet's header in the opening stage, Chelsea quickly responded and relied on Lukaku, B seat, and Marcos Arsenal, who had just returned from injury.
Ronso's goal defeated the opponent 3:1.
However, when they faced Hull City away from home on March 22, who were fighting for relegation, Tiger City performed to a very high level.
They scored two goals in a row after falling behind 0:2, and finally drew with Chelsea at home!
This also made the British media lament after the game: "The relegation team at the end of the season is really not easy to mess with! The temptation of 100 million euros!"
This score also made Chelsea's plan to win the championship in March failed.
Of course, since Manchester City also won these two rounds, in fact, even if Chelsea wins Hull City, they will not be able to win the championship in advance.
After all, this is only the 29th round. Want to win the championship 9 rounds in advance? It is too exaggerated.
You know, before this season, the record for the fastest championship in Premier League history was held by Manchester United.
They won the championship five rounds ahead of schedule in the 2000-2001 season, that is, after 33 rounds!
So judging from Chelsea's current momentum, it should be relatively easy to break this record.
Then there is the home game against Stoke City on April 5.
This is also a "revenge" battle for Chelsea!
Because the only game Chelsea drew in the first half of the season was against Stoke City.
If they cannot defeat Stoke City, then Chelsea will not be able to defeat all Premier League teams this season!
However, after leaving the blessing of the Britannia Stadium, "City in the Sky" also lost its magic at Stamford Bridge.
They were quickly defeated by Chelsea's indiscriminate bombardment, and finally suffered a 0:4 defeat.
After this round, Chelsea is only one step away from the championship.
They have 28 wins and 2 draws with 86 points. In these two rounds, although Manchester City won both games, they only had 64 points. Chelsea's lead is still as high as 22 points!
There are eight rounds left in the league and they are 22 points ahead. In other words, as long as Chelsea win the next round, they will win the Premier League championship this season seven rounds in advance!
However, Pan Yi still needs to think carefully about the next few games.
After the away game against Arsenal on April 12, it will be immediately followed by the home game against Juventus in the Champions League quarter-finals on April 15, then the away game against Tottenham on April 19, and then immediately the away game on April 22
Second leg against Juventus.
In other words, within 10 days, Chelsea will play four games in a row against Juventus and North London!
The most important part of this game, for Chelsea, is of course the two Champions League games against Juventus.
But Pan Yi doesn't want to give up the other two Premier League games directly.
After all, if we can win the Premier League record seven games ahead of schedule, it will greatly improve the morale of the entire team.
In addition, these two Premier League opponents are city rivals in London, and Tottenham are mortal enemies. Of course, no one hopes to lose to them.
As an opponent of Chelsea, Arsenal head coach Arsene Wenger has also said that he definitely does not want Chelsea, an enemy from the same city, to celebrate the championship at the Emirates Stadium!
Of course, for Wenger, what is more important is that he needs these three points.
After some good performances in recent rounds, Arsenal's points have reached the third position. Although there is no hope of winning the championship, there is still hope for fourth place.
On the premise that there are not too many games left in the league, every game and every point is important.
They have been eliminated from the Champions League, so the league and FA Cup are their last battlefields.
Coupled with the fact that there is no multi-line pressure from the European war, Arsenal will definitely go all out in this home game!
Moreover, if Chelsea can be prevented from winning the championship, and then let Chelsea go to Tottenham's home court to celebrate the championship in the next round, this can be regarded as a "gift" to their mortal enemy.
For the outside world, this game still has several gimmicks.
One of them was Arsenal knocking out Chelsea in the FA Cup, and that was the only game Chelsea actually lost in all competitions this season.
So for Chelsea, this is also a real battle of revenge!
Also, this is the first time that Cech, Gnabry and Martin have officially faced each other in the Premier League after exchanging clubs.
The battle for championship + the battle for fourth place + the BIG6 civil war + the London derby + the battle of revenge + the battle with the old club...
Precisely because there are so many topics, this contest between the two London teams has also attracted widespread attention from global media and fans!
——
Wenger stands in the home team's dressing room at the Emirates Stadium.
In front of him were the eleven starting players he carefully selected.
The goalkeeper is Czech veteran Cech.
Since the departure of legendary England goalkeeper David Seaman and German goalkeeper Lehmann, Arsenal's goalkeeper position has been in frequent turmoil.
First it was Fabianski, and then due to his inconsistent performance, Szczesny gradually took the main position.
But Wenger was actually not very satisfied with Szczesny, so he introduced Colombian goalkeeper Ospina from Nice this summer, but the result was still unsatisfactory.
So Wenger found a way to discuss with Pan Yi the loan of veteran goalkeeper Petr Cech.
Cech has always won the love of fans with his outstanding and stable performance. Although his peak period was at Chelsea, even when he came to Arsenal at an age close to retirement, he still guaranteed the confidence of Arsenal's defense.
Therefore, he also secured his position as the main goalkeeper.
In Wenger's plan, Cech will definitely be bought out after the end of this season. As for Szczesny and Ospina, they can only wait and see if anyone takes over.
Let Cech start against Chelsea, and the professor also believes that he will have an excellent performance against his old club and try to keep the goal!
Wenger's lineup today is a 4-2-3-1.
In the defense, from left to right are Monreal, Koscielny, Merdesack and Bellerin.
The midfield double midfielder is Cazorla and Cochrane, and the frontcourt attacking trio is Sanchez, Wilshere and Ramsey.
At the front is center Giroud.
This is almost the strongest starting lineup that Arsenal can currently field, and it is also the guarantee that they can grab points and compete for fourth place recently.
Wenger's eyes swept over the eleven players one after another and received positive feedback from the players.
Everyone looked at the professor and were ready to listen to his speech.
"I believe everyone knows how important today's game is to us!"
"We are now in third place, but we only have one point more than Manchester United behind us, and not much more than fifth-place Liverpool."
"In other words, if we lose today's game, we will probably fall to fourth or even fifth, and it will be difficult to guarantee our Champions League spot."
"Therefore, we must win this game! Even if the opponent is Chelsea, who are ranked first!"
When Wenger said this, he still looked at the players in front of him.
He also saw everyone's determined eyes.
Especially captain Arteta.
Although due to his increasing age, he is now less and less able to play in the team and his retirement has been put on the agenda, he is still an important member of the locker room.
He will also use his mental strength to inspire the young players in the team.
Wenger continued:
"Our opponent Chelsea is very strong. They have done a very good job both offensively and defensively. They have remained undefeated in the Premier League so far and have adjusted very well."
"But they are not invincible. Don't forget, we defeated them in the FA Cup!"
"Moreover, they still have to face the pressure of the Champions League quarter-finals, so it is difficult to let go in today's game."
"Judging from their starting lineup, they have sent a lot of rotation players. They probably want to solidly defend our home court first, and then wait for opportunities to counterattack."
"It is precisely because Chelsea's defense is very good and the counterattack is very sharp, so we cannot give our opponents any chance!"
"We must seize the initiative from the beginning of the game and put pressure on Chelsea from the first minute of the game."
"This requires our frontcourt players to stay focused at all times and harass Chelsea's midfielder and backfielder. It also requires our midfielder to put enough pressure on the opponent."
When he said this, Wenger once again emphasized his tone and reminded his players:
"We must end this battle by scoring a goal in the shortest possible time!"
Arsene Wenger has been coaching Arsenal for so long, so it’s impossible not to be unclear about Arsenal’s strengths and weaknesses.
Arsenal's players are more experienced, but they are also relatively older and will be weaker in fighting a protracted game.
In other words, the longer it takes, the more disadvantageous it will be for Arsenal.
Since Arsenal's advantage is offense, they must attack quickly. From the beginning of the game, they swept through Chelsea's defense zone like an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves.
As long as they can score one goal, Arsenal can take control of the initiative. If they score two goals, they are almost guaranteed to win.
"Finally, I want to say that tonight, we will definitely be able to bring this victory to the fans at the Emirates Stadium!"
“As long as everyone here works together, it’s not hard to do!”
"Perhaps Chelsea will still win the Premier League championship early, but it will never be today!"
The players, led by captain Arteta, also roared in response.
At this time, the referee's bell also rang to urge the referee to enter the stadium.
——
The ringing also broke the tranquility in the visiting team's locker room.
Everyone looked at the head coach sitting by the gate and realized that Pan Yi had not said a word from beginning to end.
This is not like the boss style!
Doesn't he have to say some motivational words before every game?
Why are you silent today?
Amid the doubts of the players, Pan Yi came over.
Then, he finally spoke:
"Go and take this Premier League title that belongs to us back to Stamford Bridge!"
Just such a short sentence made the players extremely excited.
Is there anything more exciting than winning the championship after one game?
What's more, it's still on the territory of the London Derby opponent!
"Okay!" the players responded in unison.
Pan Yi raised his right hand and said, "Let's go!"
——
"We saw players from both teams entering the stadium one after another."
"We have just introduced Arsenal's starting lineup. Now let's take a look at Chelsea's starting eleven. This is still a regular 3-4-3 formation."
"But there was an surprise from the goalkeeper position today! Pan Yi sent substitute goalkeeper Martinez as the starter, which directly made him face his old club."
"On the back line, the left center back is teenager Ake, the middle center back is David Luiz, and the right center back is Zouma. This can be regarded as a combination of one old and two new."
"Obviously, although today's game is very important, Pan Yi still chose a lot of rotation players. It seems that he still trusts these young players."
"This actually won't surprise anyone. After all, both Ake and Zouma have performed very well this season."
"The two midfielders in the middle are Kante and Ramirez. These are the two midfielders with the strongest running ability in Chelsea. There is no need to even add the qualifying term 'midfielder'. Perhaps Pan Yi hopes that today's players
We need to run more and use our running to wear down Arsenal."
"On both sides of them are the two wing-backs Cancelo and Azpilicueta. These two are also known for their abundant physical strength and wide range of activities."
"In the frontcourt, Hazard, who has recovered from injury, did not start. Gnabry and B seat formed two wingers. They will be Chelsea's weapons in counterattack, and Belgian center Lukaku is at the forefront."
"These three players are the guarantee for Chelsea's offense today. Arsenal must also pay attention. Once there is a flaw in their defense, they may be caught."
"In short, today Pan Yi's starting lineup has undergone a relatively large rotation, while Wenger's side has used all the main players. It seems that this is also an opportunity for Arsenal."
"Now, the captains of the two teams are guessing."
"The first captains of both teams did not start today. Arsenal's side has Merdessack as captain, while Chelsea's side has Azpilicueta..."
The players on the court were guessing. On the side of the court, Pan Yi and Wenger came together.
Before the game, it is customary for the two head coaches to shake hands and be polite.
It's just that due to the friendly cooperation between the two during the winter window, both parties got players they were satisfied with and had direct feedback on their results. Therefore, the relationship between the two is better than the superficial "politeness".
"Be careful, I will beat you again today!" Wenger said with a smile.
"You won't count the FA Cup match as your win, right?" Pan Yi also laughed, "As we all know, in the Premier League, Arsenal is the only one who values the FA Cup the most..."
"If you lose, you lose. Don't be harsh." Wenger patted Pan Yi on the shoulder, "If you don't accept it, you can win it back today!"
It looked like he was joking, but in fact, he was serious.
He really wants to win today's game!
In fact, the attitude of both sides towards this game can be seen from the starting lineup.
But it is obvious that even if Pan Yi saves more energy for the Champions League quarter-finals a few days later, he still wants to win this game.
"Then let's watch it on the field." Pan Yi refused to give in, "I will only give you seventy minutes."
Wenger frowned, not quite understanding what Pan Yi meant.
Pan Yi continued: "Within seventy minutes, if you can't score a goal, or you can't score enough goals... then I'm sorry, you can't beat me!"
Wenger gets it.
Doesn’t it mean “Pan Yi time”?
Seventy minutes later, Chelsea's terrifying physical fitness coupled with Pan Yi's magical substitution adjustments and so on.
Although Wenger is indeed very afraid of this so-called "Pan Yi time", he has confidence in his disciples today, that is, he will resolve the battle before seventy minutes!
Wenger smiled and said: "Haha, it seems you are quite confident. Even the starting goalkeeper is Martinez, who cannot play in our team. Isn't it a little underestimating the opponent?"
Pan Yi shook his head: "That's wrong. Martin is very familiar with the players on your team, so he can use them. Moreover, isn't your starting goalkeeper unable to play in our team?"
Wenger: "...I can't defeat you. Forget it, let's meet on the field. I guarantee you will lose!"
Wenger and Pan Yi shook hands again and then returned to the coaching bench.
The "infighting" between the two people off the court came to an end. The two captains on the court had also finished guessing the side, and Chelsea got the right to serve.
"Hey, Un'Goro!"
Seeing that the team had won the right to kick off, Pan Yi shouted towards the court.
N'Golo Kante immediately left the formation and ran to the sidelines.
Kanter's name always gives Pan Yi a feeling of "Un'Goro Crater", and Kanter's role is indeed as ubiquitous as the dinosaurs in Un'Goro Crater...
So Pan Yi simply called him that.
Now Pan Yi wants to give him his final instructions:
"After the start, stabilize the rhythm. Don't be anxious. Control the ball and let them grab it for a while. But you must be careful not to lose the ball in your own half."
Kante understands the coach's intentions.
Chelsea players are relatively young, so if Arsenal really starts the game with a fierce attack, it might be a bit chaotic.
Just like when Chelsea faced Arsenal in the FA Cup, all young players took the field. At that time, they were a little overwhelmed after Giroud scored a goal, and finally lost with the winning goal.
Therefore, today, under the leadership of 24-year-old "veteran" Kanter, we must first stabilize the rhythm and gain a firm foothold, and then wait until the team adapts to the game, and then slowly open up the formation.
Arsenal's frontcourt is indeed packed with stars, but the pressing intensity is actually not too great. Chelsea's midfield and backfield ball control capabilities should be able to withstand it.
And just as Pan Yi sent Kante off, less than 20 meters away from him, Arsenal head coach Arsene Wenger also walked to the sidelines.
He made pressing gestures towards players such as Giroud, Ramsey, Sanchez, and Wilshere.
As an experienced coach, he naturally sees Chelsea's disadvantages clearly.
Therefore, Arsenal had to grab the ball at the beginning and take advantage of Chelsea's unstable footing to make them lose their position.
As long as Chelsea's formation is in chaos, with the personal ability of the Arsenal star, if he seizes an opportunity, he can create a threat and even score a goal!——
As soon as the two of them sat down in the coaching bench, the referee's whistle sounded.
This much-anticipated Premier League battle has finally begun!
"The game has finally started! Chelsea kicks off first."
"Lukaku made a classic back-foot kick and handed the ball to Kante. But they did not move forward, and Kante also passed the ball to the back."
"Continuous passes were passed to the backcourt. They did not rush to attack the opponent from the beginning. Chelsea obviously wanted to control the rhythm first."
"Arsenal's players are slowly pressing forward, but they are not in a hurry. The pressing in the frontcourt is not very fierce."
"Arsenal seems to want to proactively seize the advantage, but Wenger's team does not dare to be too impatient, because the start has always been their weakness."
"It's just that Chelsea's initiative to shrink is still quite puzzling, because Pan Yi's approach of rushing to start the game often works wonders. He is even the best head coach in the Premier League to start the game, but today he gave up on his own initiative."
"But then again... considering that Chelsea is playing away from home today and using many young rotation players, such a cautious approach is understandable."
"It's because Pan Yi's offensive style is so popular that it actually makes me feel a little uncomfortable, haha! Normally speaking, when playing at the home court of Arsenal, who are good at attacking, you really have to be more conservative.
Yeah!"
"How can anyone come up and play against each other regardless of home or away game or who the opponent is?"
The commentator is right. Ever since Wenger took charge of Arsenal, the Arsenal has been world-famous for its fluid attack.
This is one of the important reasons why Arsenal can still attract countless fans even if its results are no longer so outstanding.
Even so far this season, Arsenal has scored 60 goals, averaging two goals per game. It is second only to Chelsea in the entire Premier League and tied with Manchester City.
This shows how powerful their attack firepower is.
Now that Chelsea actually gave up fighting with the opponent in the opening stage and allowed Arsenal to attack, it was obvious that they would be at a disadvantage on the scene.
Of course, Chelsea's defensive counterattack has always been very good, especially Lukaku, B and others on the front line are all good counterattackers.
But the prerequisite for counterattack is to be able to defend.
So, can Chelsea's defense, which is mainly composed of young players today, be able to defend Arsenal's crazy attack?
This will greatly affect the final result of today's game...