It’s now the game of the season on Sunday at the Emirates. Jose Mourinho’s side have led the Premier League from day one but face their toughest test against Arsenal but are they now a very realistic threat?

After Saturdays performance and three points against Manchester United, you can see this as being billed as the side with plenty of attacking flair, on a fantastic run against the side “limping” over the line.

So what of Arsenal?

The neutrals will get behind Arsene Wenger and his team to keep the title race going as long as possible and I guess the football purists will do the same but it’s important to remember that football these days is a results business just as Louis Van Gaal discovered at Stamford Bridge.

But for the FA Cup last season, we all remember just how frustrated the Gunners fans had become at their lack of trophies. Twelve months on, they are back in the FA Cup Final will a chance to retain the trophy and are now in second place in the Premier League. Do we think that Arsenal have improved that much?

I look at Arsenal and everything from their midfield going forward is difficult not to like. Coquelin has been a revelation in the holding role, Alexis Sanchez has had a fantastic season, Santi Cazorla pulls the strings, Mesut Ozil has found form and Oliver Giroud is scoring goals on a regular basis.

The Arsenal Achilles Heel remains

However, for me their problem still lies within their back four and goalkeeper. Just look at that happened against Monaco at the Emirates for example. Their lack of defensive discipline has been their Achilles heel for god knows how many seasons and has literally cost them a decent crack at the title every year.

Look at the days of Dixon, Adams and Winterburn for example or even Cole, Lauren and Campbell – Arsenal built their attacking flair from a solid base. For some reason, as those players left the club, they were never replaced with the same quality.

You can have all the flair players in the world going forward but you MUST have those same players willing to work just as hard without the ball to support your defence otherwise you will always struggle. Coquelin can’t do it all by himself and we shall find out if I am right on Sunday!

Jose Mourinho – the master of big games

Most would have decided already that Chelsea will head to the Emirates with instructions from Jose Mourinho to park the bus. As negative as some people think that is, it’s game management. If the two sides positions were switched around and this game was at Stamford Bridge with Arsenal needing just two wins for the title would he do the same?

You can bet your life that Jose would have studied Arsenal to find their weakness and to develop the tactical plan he believes in. Think back to United last weekend and to his interview after the game. He spoke of how the game played out how he wanted it to be and how we expected. Expect the same on Sunday.

Do we honestly believe that Chelsea will park the bus? I am not so sure. I believe we will look to remain solid but at the same time, utilise our attacking flair when we have the ball to punish Arsenal and their back four that isn’t as solid as some people make out to be.

Fabregas is key

We can all pretty much tell you now the reaction Cesc Fabregas will receive at the Emirates but that will not bother him or Chelsea at all. If anything it will inspire him to focus on playing well because let’s face it, many will have you believe his form has dipped as it apparently always does towards the end of the season.

Many people will pinpoint Eden Hazard as the main danger and rightly so but I have a different take on things ahead of this one. Hazard is nothing without the ball, Sanchez the same as they both feed on service and being given the ball in the right areas.

Cesc Fabregas is half the threat to the opposition when he plays further forward so I expect him to revert back in the deeper position next to Nemanja Matic. It’s from that position that Chelsea will rely on Fabregas to pick up the ball and to dictate the game.

As we have seen at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season, given space and time with the ball at his feet, Fabregas can split a defence wide open with a single pass that can make the difference.

Conclusion – It’s all up to Arsenal

I am a Chelsea fan so I am obviously biased however, you have to look at why Chelsea are so far ahead of Arsenal and everyone else this season. Jose Mourinho spotted the frailties within the make-up of his team and went out and key players in that have made the difference.

Whether you describe Chelsea as a well oiled machine or boring is down to you but the facts and figures are there for all to see. Sunday is about Arsenal taking the game to Chelsea to try and beat them and nothing more. Chelsea do not have to win the game and will be happy to sit in their defensive shape giving Arsenal time on the ball, knowing that with the likes of Fabregas, Hazard, Willian, Oscar and Remy we have the pace and flair to really hurt them on the counter attack. For me the outcome of this one literally comes down to just how far Arsenal have come. Do they have enough going forward to break Chelsea down? Do they have enough to deal with Chelsea when we attack them? On Sunday we find out!

Published with permission from ChelseaDaft.

There is no doubt that the London derby between Arsenal and Chelsea to be played at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday will play a significant role in the Blues’ push for the Premier League title. Neither recent history nor Arsene Wenger’s record against Jose Mourinho will be pleasing for the Gunners.

The North London side last emerged victorious over Chelsea in October 2011 when they ran out 3-5 victors over their London rivals. In the 7 games that have transpired since, the Gunners have lost 5 and drawn 2. Further, the Arsenal manager has come up 12 times against Mourinho and has failed to beat him on all occasions (D5 L7).

There is, however, a major factor to consider Arsenal have been in formidable form recently – they have come out winners in their last 8 EPL fixtures (24 out of 24 points won). It isn’t just their wins but the fashion in which they have carved out these victories that has been impressive. As Wenger said, “Football is down to the fact that the performance on the day will decide the game and the result, so let’s focus on that.”

Arsenal, who are second in the Premier League table with 66 points and 6 games to go, can get a maximum of 84 points at the end of the season. This means that table toppers Chelsea who are on 76 points need at least 9 points from the 18 available to them to ensure that the title will go to Stamford Bridge.

There is, however, the small matter of the London Derby that will be crucial to Chelsea’s title chances. Here’s a look at how it will pan out for Chelsea in different scenarios:

If Chelsea win

A win will virtually guarantee Mourinho’s men the title. It will extend Chelsea’s 10-point lead to 13 points ahead of Arsenal. Crucially, this also means that Arsenal’s points tally at the end of the season can only be a maximum of 81 points.

This would mean that if the Blues secure three points against Leicester City in the next fixture, they will be champions. And if that happens, Liverpool will be expected to give the Blues a guard of honour at Stamford Bridge.

If the match ends in a Draw

A draw in this game would leave the West London club requiring a maximum of 6 points from the remaining 5 games to win the title.

This means they could win the title against Crystal Palace with a total of 83 points that would put them ahead of Arsenal’s highest possible points tally for the season (82).

If Arsenal win

A loss to Arsenal will leave the league leaders needing 9 points from 5 games to seal the title. Interestingly, this scenario will leave Chelsea under the most pressure as they come up against relegation-battling Leicester City, a rejuvenated Crystal Palace and a top-4 chasing Liverpool in their next three games.

While we’re assuming wins for Arsenal and Chelsea in fixtures other than while they face each other, the Premier League has never failed to surprise us and surely there are a few more twists ahead of us. The question that remains is, which way will the pendulum swing?

Arsenal’s biggest hurdle on paper looks like Manchester United at Old Trafford in the penultimate weekend of the EPL. This season still has a long way to go.

Speaking ahead of Chelsea’s trip to the Emirates, Jose Mourinho told the media that Didier Drogba is “good” for the tie, while he isn’t sure of Loic Remy and would review Diego Costa’s situation tomorrow.

The Portuguese manager says that Remy and Drogba have done well in Costa’s absence but “the reality is that we are coping with the difficulties of every match without him.”

He also said regarding Chelsea’s striker situation that young Dominic Solanke did not play with the U-21s this week so that he could be ready if needed for the first team.

Eden Hazard’s links to Real Madrid’

Mourinho reiterated that Eden Hazard just signed a new contract and has had a lot of time to think about it. He also said, “He likes Chelsea, he likes the team and made a commitment.

“I don’t think he’s interested in going [to Madrid].”

On his impressive record against Arsene Wenger

Jose compares his record with his time at Real Madrid and his relationship with the Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone. He believes that the achievement for him will be to win the match on Sunday and the past 12 games do not matter.

He said, “I don’t look to numbers. I don’t look to what I did against this manager or that club. I think my players don’t even know about the details.

“What they [the players] care about is how we work all week and the confidence we have. I think this is what matters.”

On Patrick Bamford’s future

Patrick Bamford on loan from Chelsea at Middlesbrough was recently voted Sky Bet Championship Player of the Year. When asked about his future, Mourinho replied, “I don’t think he should be thinking about his future.

“I think he should be thinking about the next two matches.”

“He can be promoted.”

Fabregas’ return to the Emirates

Earlier, Arsene Wenger urged Arsenal fans to show Cesc Fabregas respect on his return to Emirates. When asked about the same Jose Mourinho characteristically avoided speaking about Fabregas’ past.

However, he praised Fabregas’ performances for Chelsea and said “We explained our project. Good projects usually mean titles. He wanted that. That’s all I can say.”

On Fabregas’ return to the Emirates stadium, he said, “Frank Lampard came back to Stamford Bridge with Manchester City and there was no problem. I can’t see why it can’t be the same for Fabregas at Arsenal.”’

Finally, when asked, “How do you see this title compared to…”, Jose interrupted saying, “We didn’t win this one yet. There are no ifs in football, only yes or no.”