Can a London derby really be a comedown for Chelsea? Victory over Arsenal would confirm one of the best weeks in Chelsea's history, yet still leave work to be done for Roberto Di Matteo, a man in danger of being an even more beloved stopgap Blues boss than Guus Hiddink.

Liverpool await at Wembley on May 5, so too a wounded Barcelona at the Camp Nou, but the game with Arsenal is a vital fixture in the race for Champions League qualification. Of course, Chelsea may not even require it, should they negotiate the small matter of Tuesday night in Catalonia and go on to claim victory in Munich against either Bayern or Real Madrid. All quite simple, surely.

So finishing fourth becomes a safety net for Chelsea, while Arsenal's grip on third is rather looser than was expected a week ago. And while internecine rivalries will have Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United all hoping Chelsea fail to win the Champions League, they have a more practical reason. Should Chelsea win the whole caboodle and finish fifth, any race for fourth is rendered moot, as the Europa League beckons.

Of the two, Arsenal should go into the match feeling fresher, though perhaps only in the physical sense. Beating Barcelona can only lift a mental state as compared to losing at home to Wigan. Arsenal, often painted by their more fanciful fans as a Barcelona-lite, can draw comparisons with their Catalan brethren in that a supposedly inferior team frustrated them, and managed the game away from them.

The comparisons can stop there, though members of both the Barcelona and Arsenal camps offered similar post-match complaints over their opponents' refusal to let them win by opening up. In fact, Wigan opened up Arsenal with ease in the first ten minutes at the Emirates, in the best attacking play of the entire match. While Chelsea scored with their only true attempt on goal, their heroic rearguard efforts against Barcelona merited their wafer-thin lead.

Di Matteo will likely rest some of his midweek marvels. Frank Lampard ran himself into submission to continue his late-season revival act, and though Didier Drogba bought himself plenty of resting time via a bravura display of midweek playacting and lying down, he ran hard all night. John Terry's fractured ribs, too, may not have taken much of a pummelling - not that he showed much sympathy for a fellow injury victim when grabbing Carles Puyol's wrist - but caution may preclude his involvement.

Arsene Wenger has no need to rest players. He has little else to aim for after a season of disappointment. The greatest achievement will be guiding his squad to a 15th straight Champions League campaign but the Wigan performance exposed the faultlines that a recent recovery have hidden. Until proven otherwise, the belief must remain that Arsenal usually crumble when the pressure is on.

Chelsea, meanwhile, under the leadership of a caretaker coach sacked by West Bromwich Albion just last year, are beginning to prove that they perform best of all when the pressure is on.

Arsenal player to watch: Aaron Ramsey. Mikel Arteta's season is now over after an ankle injury sustained against Wigan, while the end of Jack Wilshere's campaign is confirmed having never actually begun at all. Aaron Ramsey has few competitors for a midfield position but has hardly been in fantastic form. Worryingly, keen observers have noted that a fickle Emirates crowd are on the brink of giving him the Eboue/Arshavin treatment. Must do better, and quickly too.

Chelsea player to watch: Fernando Torres. Two influential performances in four days confirmed that Drogba is still the man for Chelsea's biggest occasions. It only adds to Torres' continuing status as the £50 million bauble without portfolio. Yet an even-handed assessment of Torres would point to the fact that of late he has been playing perhaps his best football in a Chelsea shirt. The workrate has been exemplary, the goal threat is almost returned, but it has not been enough to supplant Drogba in the big games. Tired Ivorian legs may allow him a chance here.

Key battle: Robin Van Persie v Gary Cahill. The double player of the year-elect cut a frustrated figure on Monday, even before Gary Caldwell baited him after the final whistle. The runs were not quite coming off and the shooting was awry. The goals have not been flying as they did throughout the winter. Indeed, that playground penalty against Wolves was the first strike for nearly a month. So after holding off Lionel Messi, this should be no problem at all for Cahill, who put in a tremendous shift against Barcelona. With Terry likely to rest those ribs, this is a chance to prove he is indeed the future.

Trivia: Arsene Wenger first faced Chelsea in the Premier League in April 1997 at Highbury and his team ran out 3-0 winners, with goals from Ian Wright, David Platt and Dennis Bergkamp. Roberto Di Matteo, who had arrived at Chelsea the previous summer, did not feature for the Blues.

Stats: Their last meeting finished 5-3, with a Robin Van Persie hat-trick handing Andre Villas-Boas - remember him? - the first home defeat of his Chelsea tenure. It was not to be his last.


Match

ehen!so is there anybody betting against chelsea! Well mikel haters hope u re ready to blame him for any mistake that will be made by any black man on the pitch.chelsea all the way.

Chelsea may have beating Tottenham and Barcelona in the FA cup and champions league semis in the space of three days, but I see them crumbling at the Emirate.

Chesi should sack that Romanus Ibrahimovic if they wanted to beating Asina! That man playing out off possession!

I will stick to my Guns while we showed them what it means to play beautiful football,little offensive and great goals
Go on gunners

Mukina, kai. D nightmare of us beating ur team at home dey catch u abi? Atleast na tomorow u suppose put this tin 4 frontpage. Well since you are anxious, we are beating arse-anal by 2 goals to nothing. Up chelsea

saturday na big day o ...arsenal . chelsea afternoon , elclassico in the evening

everything is wrong with these churches [even celestial churches], OR AT LEAST MANY OF THE MERMBERS WHO CLAIM TO BE FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST. The men are nasty dogs..............they cheat on their wives and play with the emotions of unsuspecting young girls/adults. I came across a video of a man who we will call "Mark". That's the name he gave me. He told me a lot of things which i found suspicious. Fortunately for me i was told the truth by a guy who saw me with him. This guy [mark]claimed to be a church priest at the Imole Ayo parish. Beware ladies and if he is married [i feel so bad for his poor wife). There are some things about this church that i am nervous to share but ladies if you need some conformation email me at exposingsnakes@hotmail.ca. for your benefit the man i am talking about is in this video at 4min43sec...........BEWARE!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN_Wrr0igTQ&feature=plcp&context=C4ea5430VDvjVQa1PpcFOwSlpnK4Imo-R1pkmkOpTC4Y9nOS-dRaM%3D

Lemme giv u guys d low down....Arsenal wld hav bn d best team In d premier league if not for our coach(Wenger) who has a phD in Economics....any game dat Ramsey plays in is already 60% lost b4 d match starts because d guy is tryin to find his form..dis is a critical period and in critical times u cannot be tryin out experiments..Chelsea hav d confidence and momentum and if they start with Drogba they may likely win..so d truth is if Wenger starts d first team (witout Santos,Benayoun and Ramsey) Arsenal wld win but if not τ̲̅ђε̲̣̣̣̥ game is For Chelsea....

simply because they managed to beat barca does not guarantee their win over arsenal, so i forsee victory for arsenal.

aso ebi: simply because they managed to beat barca does not guarantee their win over arsenal, so i forsee victory for arsenal.

Same feeling
Same feeling [img]http://www.spgames.info/g.gif[/img]

hmmm

Arsenal will be drubbed, thats for sure. Arsenal 1-4 Chelsea

Arsenal will massacre Chelsea and that will mark the downward turning point for Chelsea's season; to be followed by another brutality @ the Nou Camp and finishing the season on 6th position.

GO GUNNERS!!! We can come out victorious if the right players are selected to play our North London rivals. Good luck Arsenal!

Chelsea for the champions league win!!!

It won't be an easy match, Arsenal will play at their hrt out because a lot is at stake here,losing will mean no more 3rd spot,while Chelsea will want to prove that their win over Bracelona was not a fluke. If Wenger can pick the right team,of course we will carry the day,we have done it before. But I fear the inclusion of Ramsey,so many things goes wrong when he is on the feild.

Aesenal will need to bring morka form for drogba.

The match will be a tough one but if care is not taking Arsenal might carry the day.

No too much talk; Arsenal 3, chelsea 1

it will be so exciting mehn..

Kay-Dee:
Arsenal will massacre Chelsea and that will mark the downward turning point for Chelsea's season; to be followed by another brutality @ the Nou Camp and finishing the season on 6th position.

you can be best described as a saddist if that's your dream. Perhaps, you were one of those who could'nt sleep on the night chelsea galantly held the world acclaimed best club to a 1-0 win after their 5-1 drubbing of london rivals; tottenham. Well, my friend, 90 mins says it all. Your beloved club may be better than chelsea but they have to play for you to jump to conclussions so be careful what you wish for

High_Chief: Arsenal will be drubbed, thats for sure. Arsenal 1-4 Chelsea

chif chif i am feeling you o, but let's wait till after 90 mins of the match. I also wish chelsea wins the match to keep their next season's champions league qualification much more alive

Am so sorry chelsea cos arsenal has the hangover of the defeat they suffered on wigan hands. The annoyance will be too much such that they will whitewash chelsea 5-1. up gooners