Goal.com Predicts: Chelsea 2-2 Arsenal....Do you agree?

Goal.com Predicts: Chelsea 2-2 Arsenal....Do you agree?

Goal.com has predicted that the much awaited debut will end Chelsea 2-2 Arsenal. Wenger will be grateful that Arsenal's nemesis Didier Drogba will be suspended for the clash at Stamford Bridge but knows his side face their biggest test since the club's defeat at Tottenham at the start of the month.

Van Persie only needs half a yard to work the ball into a position where he can shoot at goal with his left foot, and I won't be surprised if he gets the better of Terry this weekend.

Theo Walcott has been in patchy form this season but has an important role to play this weekend – both offensively and defensively. Going forward, he will have to improve his decision-making and final ball if he is to get the better of Ashley Cole.

The former Arsenal man is one of the best left-backs in the world and is wise enough to know exactly what Walcott is going to do. But Walcott is so fast that he only needs to break through once and pick out the right pass for Arsenal to score.

Equally important, though, is that Walcott pins Cole back so the Chelsea full-back can't bomb forward at will to support their attacks. He is a key out-ball for them and Arsenal need to limit Chelsea's options when they have the ball.

Frank Lampard has done a very good job this season of proving that he is a long way from finished, which seemed a knee-jerk conclusion reached by some people on the basis of a handful of quiet games. Arsenal have been very brittle at the back and Lampard will keep getting himself in the box waiting for that chance to fire shots on the Gunners' goal.

Lampard relies on his football brain to make a difference on the pitch and in Alex Song he comes up against a strong, tenacious athlete. Song is excellent at winning the ball and playing it simple, so he can win the battle if he makes sure he is always close to Lampard. The problem he has is if he switches off for a couple of seconds – which does happen – and the next thing he knows Lampard is putting the ball in the back of the net.

This is going to be a very interesting battle, not least because Johan Djourou is likely to play out of position at right-back this weekend. I think Djourou has the potential to be a first-choice center-back for Arsenal for many years but I worry about how schooled he is in the art of playing at full-back.

Juan Mata will take advantage of any mistakes because he has shown in his brief time at Chelsea how clever he is, on and off the ball. He's not the kind of player who will pick up the ball and run at 100 miles per hour, he will find space off Djourou and try to open Arsenal up. Mata is not at David Silva's level just yet but I do expect him to be a massive factor in the outcome of the match.

It feels like ages since Fernando Torres was sent off against Swansea but he will return straight to the Chelsea team with Didier Drogba suspended. He will be fresh and raring to go against an Arsenal side who he knows are leaky defensively.

Torres will get chances, that's almost guaranteed. He has looked sharp this season when he has played and I think he will try to pull onto Per Mertesacker. The German obviously has his strengths but pace is not one of them, and I do worry for Arsenal that Torres will be able to isolate Mertesacker and then let his pace and finishing to the rest.

Do you agree with this analysis? Post your comments below. I will respond to every comment made.