LONDON (Sporting Alert) — Chelsea and Arsenal will be going for points when the pair meet in the English Premier League London derby at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon.
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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger named an unchanged starting line-up the side that beat Swansea City in the FA Cup in midweek.
This means that defender Laurent Koscielny, who returns from his one-match suspension is only on the bench, while attackers Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Lukas Podolski have both been ruled of the Gunner’s squad because of illness.
Meanwhile, Fernando Torres has shockingly got the starting nod over Demba Ba, who despite scoring against Southampton in the 2-2 draw, has been left on the bench.
There is no place for John Terry in the starting team, but Frank Lampard, Ramires, Juan Mata, Edin Hazard and Ashley Cole, who has reportedly signed a new contract, all start.
Chelsea has not looked promising at home under interim manager Rafael Benitez. The Blues have only picked one point in its last three Premier League fixtures.
The 1-0 defeat QPR got lots of booing, but the 2-2 draw with Southampton, after going up 2-0, topped them all with Benitez’s himself getting the loudest of the jeers from the stands.
- Arsenal starting XI: Szczesny; Sagna, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Gibbs; Coquelin, Wilshere, Diaby, Cazorla, Walcott; Giroud. Subs: Mannone, Koscielny, Jenkinson, Santos, Frimpong, Ramsey, Arshavin.
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Chelsea starting XI: Cech; Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Cahill, Cole; Ramires, Lampard; Oscar, Mata, Hazard; Torres.
Subs: Turnbull, Ferreira, Terry, Bertrand, Ake, Marin, Ba.
