Chelsea dismantled Barcelona in the Champions League yesterday, 3-0. Every one of Enzo Maresca's players stepped up, and the game will be remembered as the one where Estêvão announced himself to the world.
Barca are second in La Liga, so the Blues face an even tougher test this weekend when they take on the Premier League leaders, Arsenal. Chelsea is only six points behind the Gunners in the division. Therefore, we will find out if Maresca's side can be considered title challengers this Sunday.
The Blues have an extra day to prepare for the clash with Arsenal, as the Gunners face the daunting task of playing Bayern Munich in the Champions League tonight. Despite the tough run of fixtures, Mikel Arteta's side could be boosted by the return of two forward options.
Arteta was quoted by Eduardo Hagn on X saying, "Feelings are really good for both (Viktor) Gyökeres and (Kai) Havertz. In next few days they are going to have a repeat scan to see if we can push them for the weekend."
Gyökeres was regarded as the missing piece in Arsenal's impressive roster. However, the striker has needed time to adapt to English soccer. In 10 Premier League games, he has scored four goals without making an assist.
Arsenal could have key players back for their fixture with Chelsea
Having Havertz back is also a boost as he is a recognized center-forward. Recently, the Gunners have been having to play midfielder Mikel Merino up front as they have no fit strikers. However, Arsenal have still fared well, defeating Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 in the North London derby last weekend.
Arteta has great attacking options even if he does not have a fit striker. Eberechi Eze netted a hat-trick against Spurs, and he appears to be the player that Chelsea needs to keep an eye on the most.
Chelsea needs to build on their victory over Barcelona. It cannot be seen as a one-off performance against a top team, as their win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup final could be perceived as.
The Blues have invested heavily in their roster in recent years and have even had to freeze out the likes of Raheem Sterling. Todd Boehly's consortium cannot be faulted for his ambition and willingness to put his hand in his pocket. However, the Chelsea board did make mistakes early on when changing managers. The new owners seem to have finally got it right, but need continued results to back this up.