Alex Ferguson was only half right last week when he said Manchester United's showdowns with Chelsea would be crucial in deciding the outcome of the English Premier League title race. Arsenal, too, are likely to have a say in the argument at the top and they have the chance to put their case tomorrow night when they visit Stamford Bridge for the match of the weekend.
Ferguson was correct in identifying Chelsea as the main barrier to title success, and that goes for Arsenal just as much as it does for United. Like United, Arsenal lost home and away to Chelsea last season and clearly the Gunners' title hopes hinge on getting a better return from matches against their main rivals.
That will not be easy at Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea have won 20 of their 22 home league games under Carlo Ancelotti. Last season Chelsea won seven out of nine at home to top-half finishers, scoring in every game while keeping a clean sheet six times. At both ends of the pitch Chelsea are a formidable force and Arsenal have had little joy against them in the past five seasons, winning just two of their 13 meetings and losing nine.
In those five seasons, there have been two key players in Chelsea-Arsenal matches and only one of them will be in action this time. That is Didier Drogba, who has scored 12 goals in that period - just over half of Chelsea's total. Last season Drogba netted twice in the 3-0 win at the Emirates, with a Thomas Vermaelen own goal (under pressure from Drogba) sandwiched in between, and then he scored both goals in Chelsea's 2-0 victory in the return match at Stamford Bridge.
That was not the first time Drogba had made the difference against Arsenal, because he scored the winner in the 2009 FA Cup semi-final clash and both goals when Chelsea came from behind to win 2-1 in the 2007 League Cup final.
Robin van Persie had a similar impact for Arsenal when he scored both goals in their last win over Chelsea, in the Premier League match at Stamford Bridge in November 2008. Last season he was absent for the two games against Chelsea and it seems more than coincidence that Arsenal failed to score on both occasions.
