The English Premier League gets underway with a 7:45 match between Arsenal and Chelsea.
Chelsea is coming off a rough week which saw John Terry handed a four game ban for racism. Despite winning 6-0 in the Carling Cup over the Wolverhampton Wanderers, the Terry news will effect their form on Saturday. Terry is a staple of the defensive zone and without him, Arsenal’s potent offense could have its way with the top team in the League. Their last Premier League game saw Chelsea win a close 1-0 win over Stoke City off an 85 minutes Ashley Cole goal. They have 13 points in five matches with only a 0-0 draw with the Queens Park Rangers losing them two points.
Arsenal came off a 6-1 destruction of Coventry City in which they got goals from Olivier Giroud, Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, Andrei Arshavin, Theo Walcott, and Ignasi Miquel. Their last premier League game was a tight 1-1 draw to Manchester City in which they trailed until the 80th minute when Laurent Koscielny scored to tie the score. Arsenal is currently in a tie for fifth place in the league with nine out of 15 points. Though the team has yet to lose, a pair of 0-0 draws in weeks one and two against Sunderland and Stoke City have been the difference in Arsenal’s table position. Vito Mannine gets another start for Arsenal as the number one man and will get another opportunity to prove he is ready for primetime. Chelsea striker Fernando Torres will undoubtedly be his biggest challenge and one of the key matchups for the game.
Prediction: Chelsea is the top team in the league, but the John Terry situation could be a huge distraction on Saturday. A 1-1 or 0-0 draw is likely the outcome.