Mikel Arteta insists Arsenal have come up with a plan to deal with Cole Palmer and other Chelsea 'threats' ahead of PL clash
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has a plan to tackle the threat of Chelsea forward Cole Palmer during the Gunners' upcoming London derby against the Blues on Sunday, November 10. He also spoke about his side's desire to win amid their ongoing rough patch.
When asked in the pre-match presser about the threat of the English attacker, Arteta insisted that his team will have a plan in place to tackle it.
He said (via Goal):
"That's a question that all the managers in the league have had and he's still managed to impact games. We will have a plan for Cole and all their threats, and to exploit their weaknesses."
Arsenal have been in a lean patch of form, having won two and lost three of their last six games. They won just once in October, and Arteta will be keen to see his team get back to winning ways ahead of the upcoming international break.
Speaking about his team's desire to bounce back, the Arsenal boss said:
"There is nobody in this room or outside who wants to win more than I do or the players do. That is impossible. I sense a big belief in what we do as a team. They are paying attention, they are hungry and they want to work. Their desire is unbelievable. They are a joy to work with."
Arsenal will visit Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Arteta is unbeaten as a manager at the ground, having won thrice and drawn two games against Chelsea in south-west London.
Chelsea and Arsenal are experiencing different seasons despite being level on points
The Blues are fourth in the Premier League table (18 points after 10 games), level on points with the Gunners, who are behind on goal difference. Despite collecting the same number of points, Chelsea's season is being considered as an improvement whereas the Gunners appear to be faltering in the eye of the football world.
The reason for this is the expectations set in the start of the season. Mikel Arteta's Arsenal have been one of the best teams in Europe of late, challenging twice for the league title in recent years. They were expected to continue on that path but currently find themselves seven points behind league leaders Liverpool.
Chelsea, on the other hand, have had a tumultous start to their new era under BlueCo. The club failed to land a European spot in the 2022-23 season and only managed to clinch a Europa Conference League berth in their last campaign.
With new manager Enzo Maresca taking over in the summer, Chelsea were expected to hover outside the European spots yet again. However, an improved return on points, coupled with decent attacking returns, has put the Blues one spot ahead of Arsenal for the time being.
Chelsea drew their last Premier League game 1-1 against Manchester United on Sunday, November 3 before beating FC Noah 8-0 on Thursday, November 7 in their last outing. Arsenal lost their last league match 1-0 to Newcastle United, following it up with another 1-0 loss to Inter Milan on November 6 at the San Siro.
The Gunners will be hoping to see captain Martin Odegaard back in the starting line-up for the London derby. Chelsea, meanwhile, will want to break their six-match winless streak against Arsenal (drawn one, lost five).