‘We always cause Chelsea problems’ – Wright gives Arsenal prediction ahead of Stamford Bridge clash
Arsenal legend Ian Wright is tipping the Gunners to beat Chelsea on Saturday as his former side “always cause problems” at Stamford Bridge.
The Gunners ended their run of 12 consecutive Premier League defeats to Manchester City by beating the defending champions 1-0 in their final match before the international break.
That result against Pep Guardiola’s men saw Arsenal leapfrog the Citizens into second place in the Premier League and level with arch-rivals Tottenham at the top of the table.
Arsenal face another tough test against Chelsea on Saturday evening with the Blues winning their last three matches in all competitions against Brighton, Fulham and Burnley.
But Wright can only see a positive outcome for the Gunners at the weekend as Arsenal have won of their last three visits to Stamford Bridge.
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Wright said: “I think we’re beating them. We always cause Chelsea problems at Stamford Bridge. I’m going to go with 3-1. No 2-1 Arsenal!”
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David Raya has recently come in for Aaron Ramsdale as the club’s number one but it will be interesting to see who Mikel Arteta selects for their match against Chelsea.
That’s after former Brentford stopper Raya came in for criticism during their match against Man City with Gary Neville labelling him a “nervous wreck”.
Wright added: “You could see the Arsenal fans getting frustrated with David Raya as they want him to pop the ball into midfield like we see Ederson do for Manchester City, but that isn’t what Mikel Arteta wants him to do.
“We see managers like Roberto de Zerbi and Mikel Arteta when their goalkeepers go long and lose possession, they hate it. His distribution was brilliant, and the Arsenal fans need to get used to the fact that he will take his time.
“I’ve seen some saves this season from David Raya where I think he’ll save us a few times this season, especially with his calm nature on the pitch and the way he comes for a ball and isn’t afraid to take everything out with him. A calmness which helps the back four.”
Despite taking Ramsdale’s place, Raya insists there are no problems between him and the former number one.
He told The Athletic: “The relationship? It’s very good. At the end of the day, we are mates, which is the important thing. We have a very healthy relationship. There are no problems.
“We push each other every day in training: when he’s a little bit down, I push him, and when I’m a little bit down (he does the same). We train three goalkeepers, four at the most, for hours a week, and you need that kind of relationship because otherwise, the training is not going to go well.
“I don’t like to look to the future, I like to look at the day-to-day… but the perfect end would be to win a title with Arsenal, to be called up to the national team for the European Championship, and to have a good tournament.”
