Odegaard Set to Lead Arsenal's Charge Against Chelsea in Crucial London Derby
Arsenal stand just 90 minutes away from capping off a decisive week with three crucial wins, sparking concerns that Mikel Arteta's squad might dominate everything this campaign.
A dominant 3–1 victory against Bayern Munich leaves the Gunners as the sole Champions League team maintaining a perfect record, while last weekend's outcomes positioned them six points clear atop the Premier League standings.
Manchester City's stumble at Newcastle United elevated Chelsea to main contender status at the peak, and a home victory on Sunday could bring a dominant Arsenal team back to reality.
The Gunners' squad depth has been prominently showcased this season, and Arteta will probably implement several alterations from Wednesday's winning XI for another crucial encounter.
Here's how the away team might set up at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs. Chelsea (4-3-3)
GK: David Raya—It seems ages since Raya last recorded a shutout, given the elevated expectations this Arsenal defense has established. A thriving Chelsea offense will certainly challenge the Spaniard on Sunday.
RB: Jurriën Timber—Timber features in numerous matches, yet rarely appears fatigued. The resilient Dutchman is enjoying an outstanding campaign, and he'll probably start once more.
CB: William Saliba—Going up against former St. Etienne colleague Wesley Fofana, Saliba was perhaps overshadowed by Cristhian Mosquera during the week. Nevertheless, the Frenchman played a key role in Arsenal containing Bayern Munich on Wednesday.
CB: Piero Hincapié—Though Mosquera impressed during the week, we'll probably witness Arteta return to Hincapié with Gabriel unavailable at Stamford Bridge.
LB: Riccardo Calafiori—The Italian reestablished his position as Arsenal's preferred left back on Wednesday, despite entering as a substitute. Calafiori's match-changing appearance followed an uncertain Myles Lewis-Skelly performance.
CM: Martín Zubimendi—The Spaniard is another who's depended upon constantly, though he likely won't receive his rest until the following week.
CM: Declan Rice—The Rice and Zubimendi combination is outstanding, and the duo will probably unite and face a Chelsea midfield dominated by Moisés Caicedo's versatile skills. Rice has already praised his Ecuadorian opponent ahead of the match.
CM: Martin Ødegaard—It was at this venue last season where Ødegaard returned following an extended absence, and we might see Arteta deploy his captain from kickoff on Sunday. He came on as a substitute against Bayern.
RW: Bukayo Saka—The duel with Marc Cucurella will be an important storyline on Sunday, with the Spaniard enjoying battles against prominent opponents. Arsenal supporters will hope Saka finds more success than Lamine Yamal experienced on Tuesday evening.
ST: Mikel Merino—Even when Arsenal's forwards return, should Arteta abandon Merino? The Spaniard has been remarkably effective as an improvised striker.
LW: Eberechi Eze—You cannot remove Eze from the lineup, and there's potential for the impressive Englishman to shine from a wide role. Calafiori's forward runs will enable Eze to occupy various positions in and around the attacking third.
