Don't Understand Why Arsenal Can't Fight For Title – Antonio Conte

The Italian also doesn’t feel Chelsea have any advantage over Arsenal despite getting extra days to prepare this week as Wenger rested a number of players against 1.FC Koln in the Europa League on Thursday night. In that game, they dominated us from the start until the end.

Steve Wilson: “Arsenal took only nine points from their 10 games against the other top six sides last season”.

‘He played in midweek and I think he’s very close now to starting a [Premier League] game’.

Although Arsenal managed to beat the Blues in the F.A Cup and Community Shield only a few months earlier, most Arsenal fans won’t be too confident that the Gunners can pick up the three points.

Arsenal must use their humiliating 4-0 defeat at Liverpool as “motivation” for Sunday’s trip to Chelsea, manager Arsene Wenger has said.

Cologne and Arsenal have been charged with various offences at the match which was delayed by an hour after large numbers of German fans descended on the Emirates Stadium, the majority of them without tickets.

Chelsea midfielder Danny Drinkwater is expected to be out until the October global break.

Despite winning the FA Cup in May, the heat is already being turned up on Wenger after the Gunners suffered two straight league defeats on the road against Liverpool and Stoke.

Arsenal will continue to be without Santi Carzorla and Francis Coquelin.

The Blues are overwhelming favourites to win the game, and they are available at 4/5 odds. The Smartbets odds calculator has the Blues at best priced 21/25 to triumph at the Bridge.

Antonio Conte has challenged Tiemoue Bakayoko to improve tactically and get better on the ball if he is to become “complete” like Chelsea and France team-mate N’Golo Kante.

“It was not the result we wanted or expected, and probably deserved”.

The North Londoners have also lost on their last four visits to Stamford Bridge, including a 6-0 defeat at the venue in 2014.

The Bosnian may provide a good contest against the likes of Pedro Rodriguez in the Chelsea ranks, or the in-form Alvaro Morata, who has scored three and assisted twice in his Premier League career so far.

Fortunately, though, Conte will be able to call upon Eden Hazard, who has made two cameo appearances since his return from injury.

“As always the key is to be much better defensively than we were at Anfield, and to be much more risky going forward”.

“It’s probably the biggest game out of the whole season where the first goal is most important”, he added.