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

Right Forward, Kai Havertz, Chelsea

Few players across the continent finished the 2020/21 season better than Kai Havertz. His decisive goal in the Champions League final seems to have revitalized the wunderkind’s confidence and his starring role at Euro 2020 in a relatively underwhelming Germany side can only have boosted it even more. I selected Havertz to win Premier League Player of the Year in my preseason predictions, and his quality performances in recent friendlies point to his determination to deliver.

At only 22 years of age, King Kai has the potential to become the best attacking midfielder in the English top flight, possibly even surpassing Kevin De Bruyne in the near future. His prime challenger for this spot in the combined XI, Nicolas Pepe, has also been extremely disappointing given his €79 price tag. Chelsea’s penchant to be Charity FC against weaker opposition has me nervous for Sunday’s match, but if all things go according to plan, the Blues will surely come out on top.

Left Forward, Timo Werner, Chelsea

The sheer abundance of attacking talent in both of these squads makes this matchup mouth-watering for any neutral. It also makes my job as the author of this article extremely difficult. Hakim Ziyech, Callum Hudson-Odoi, and Bukayo Saka were certainly all considerations for this left winger position, and Christian Pulisic would have been as well if it were not for his COVID diagnosis.

Whether or not he ever returns to his top goal-scoring form, Timo Werner will have an important role to play during the upcoming campaign. He created a lot of quality chances for his teammates last season, accumulating 12 assists in all competitions, and will look to do more of the same in 2021/22. His partnership with Lukaku could become one of the most lethal in the English top flight, reminiscent of the Belgian and Lautaro Martinez at Inter.

Striker, Romelu Lukaku, Chelsea

Lukaku’s return to Stamford Bridge is sure to be one of the signings of the summer along with United’s recruitment of Jadon Sancho and City acquiring Jack Grealish. The €115 million man already articulated his hunger to become a Chelsea legend in interviews with the club’s media team, and his development in Serie A under the drill sergeant Antonio Conte will have prepared him well to undertake this task.

Especially considering the mental fragility of Arsenal’s current back line, Lukaku will certainly be looking to re-open his account with the Blues on Sunday. One can only imagine the scenes as Big Rom turns towards the crowd with his typical stoic celebration after firing a shot past a flailing Aaron Ramsdale. Is it too much to ask for a debut hat trick to silence the Gunners faithful? Probably, but we Chelsea supporters can dream.

Who makes your combined XI? Let us know in the comments and on Twitter!