Arsenal are through to the Champions League quarterfinals but will have a big point to prove at the Emirates on Sunday afternoon against London rivals Chelsea after failing to take care of Manchester United, dropping two points to the Red Devils last weekend.
So here are three players on Arsenal and two on Chelsea who will be pivotal to telling the story of this weekend’s biggest Premier League matchup between second and fourth.
Arsenal DM Thomas Partey
Thomas Partey will be going up against an exceptional midfield anchoring duo and an even better leading playmaker in Cole Palmer this weekend, so he will need to be as close to flawless as possible for the Gunners.
Likely leaving the club at the end of the season, Partey is still a valuable player in the Arsenal starting XI, and he can show that value by maintaining possession for the team and covering Palmer’s runs into the box with precision.
Chelsea AM Cole Palmer
With Bukayo Saka still out injured, Cole Palmer is going to be the best player on the pitch this weekend, and it’s entirely up to Arsenal to prove that he isn’t the best man out there.
Palmer has a knack for coming up big whenever Chelsea need him the most, and he’s definitely their best player since Eden Hazard. The England international has contributed to 20 goals this season while averaging 2.5 key passes and 3.3 combined dribbles completed and fouls drawn per match.
Arsenal CM Declan Rice
Declan Rice has been a game-changer for Arsenal since arriving from the London Stadium to the Emirates, and while the Gunners have yet to produce a title to show for it, Rice has honestly brought them closer and has been a decent enough counterweight to reigning Ballon d’Or winner Rodri.
With Rodri out for the season, Rice’s biggest challenger to the title of best holding midfielder might now be Enzo Fernandez, and the two will have a fierce battle on Sunday afternoon.
The key for Rice will be stepping up to his best defensively to make sure Enzo and Co. don’t have a second of breathing room in the midfield. Rice will need to bring his lunchpail and go to work.
Chelsea DM Enzo Fernandez
Enzo Fernandez has gone from unmitigated transfer bust to one of the most important players on Chelsea, proving many fans right when they lambasted Mauricio Pochettino for giving Conor Gallagher preferential treatment over the former World Cup hero.
This season, Enzo is averaging an impressive 2.2 key passes per game with 9 goal contributions as a defensive midfielder, and if he gets too much space outside the box, he could change the complexion of the game with one swift swipe of his boot.
Arsenal LB Myles Lewis-Skelly
Fresh off his first England international call-up under former Champions League-winning Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel, Myles Lewis-Skelly has the opportunity to entrench himself as one of the country’s biggest pests by stymying Chelsea’s sometimes electrifying wing attack this weekend.
Potentially matched up against Jadon Sancho or Pedro Neto on the right wing, Lewis-Skelly will be going up against one of the more talented outside threats in the Premier League, so this game will be all about him doing the little things to annoy and impose himself defensively on a very experienced Premiership forward.
Joe Soriano covers West Ham for Green Street Hammers and writes about Real Madrid for The Real Champs. He has extensive experience covering world football since 2014. Joe is an editor for The Trivela Effect, where he covers the biggest clubs in European football. He has watched professional sports regularly since 2002 and can be found playing the same sports he covers with his friends.