Chelsea vs. Arsenal combined XI: The lone Arsenal player in a 3-4-3

The 2021/22 Premier League season has only just begun, and the two biggest clubs in London, Chelsea and Arsenal, appear to be heading in dramatically different directions. Chelsea, on the back of a commanding victory over Crystal Palace last Saturday, is arguably the hottest team in world football at the moment. Arsenal, on the other hand, suffered a not-so-shocking defeat at Brentford to begin the new campaign, which has sent the fanbase into a state of panic.

Despite the fact that only one Arsenal player made this combined XI, this will be no easy win for the Blues. They have not beaten the Gunners in the EPL since December 29, 2019, although Romelu Lukaku’s highly-anticipated debut will hopefully tip the balance in Chelsea’s favor. The side from west London would benefit greatly from a victory against its cross-town rivals, as it would send a message to the rest of the league that Thomas Tuchel’s squad is strong enough to sit atop the table at the end of the season. At the very least, it is much better than Mikel Arteta’s.

Here is the Chelsea vs. Arsenal combined XI:

Goalkeeper, Edouard Mendy, Chelsea

Edouard Mendy has been one of the most surprising transfers of the past few seasons in the Premier League given his level of anonymity before arriving at Stamford Bridge. The Senegalese shot-stopper is a revelation between the sticks in terms of his physical abilities and leadership, and clearly superior to either Bernd Leno or Arsenal’s latest signing Aaron Ramsdale. Controversially, I might even argue that Kepa Arrizabalaga is the second-best keeper in this matchup.

The greatness of Chelsea’s backline has undoubtedly assisted in Mendy’s rise to stardom, but his statistics are undeniably excellent. The only argument against him at the moment is rust, seeing as he only had one shot to save against Palace, but the Blues’ top choice in net will be ready for the derby.

Centerback, Cesar Azpilicueta, Chelsea

Dave has solidified himself as a true Chelsea legend over the past few months, captaining the Blues to the peak of European glory in the UCL and the UEFA Super Cup at 31 years of age. It looked as though his time as a contributing member of the team was coming to an end with Frank Lampard at the helm, but his resurgence in the back three has been astounding to watch. Azpilicueta’s versatility is also extremely useful in Tuchel’s system, as he and James can rotate depending on who is in the best position to make a play.

Many fans will probably have wanted to see Trevoh Chalobah somewhere on this list, and I would not be upset at all if he started at right centerback against Arsenal. He demonstrated his passion for the club with his emotional celebration after scoring against Crystal Palace, and his past two performances were tremendous as well. Regardless of whether Azpi or Chalobah gets the nod, the Blues will be defensively sound.

Centerback, Thiago Silva, Chelsea

The center of this combined XI back three is another contested position, again between two players for the European champions. Thiago Silva and Andreas Christensen both played admirably in the summer tournaments for their respective national teams, with the former starting all but one of Brazil’s matches on the way to an appearance in the Copa America final, while the latter showed tremendous development for the highly-praised Danish side at Euro 2020.

In the end, Silva’s experience will be crucial if the Blues are to overcome Arsenal. He is less likely than Christensen to make a silly mistake that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang would surely pounce upon. His trademark organizational leadership is an added bonus. Silva may be on the back end of his legendary career at the pinnacle of European football, but he certainly has a few more top-quality performances in his back pocket.

Centerback, Antonio Rudiger, Chelsea

Antonio Rudiger is probably the best, or at least the most in-form, of any defender on either Arsenal or Chelsea at the moment. This is pretty remarkable considering the German international’s status in west London at this time last year, but his resurgence, similarly to Azpilicueta’s, was a major reason for the Blues’ impressive run of form at the end of the previous season.

Rudiger’s most valuable characteristic is without a doubt his take-no-prisoners attitude. He is a physical and aggressive player, which at times led to a poorly-timed or clumsy challenge in the past. Recently, though, he has played with more poise and control, which has resulted in more effective performances in Chelsea’s back line. As a whole, the centerbacks at Stamford Bridge are simply clear of those in the northern part of the city.