Mikel Arteta impressed with Chelsea development as he predicts tactical battle

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta is predicting a tactical battle on Sunday against a Chelsea side he thinks are developing impressively under Enzo Maresca.

Last season’s corresponding fixture at the Emirates produced a 5-0 whitewash for the Gunners as their London rivals – for whom Mauricio Pochettino was in charge – collapsed in the second half, conceding four goals in 18 minutes.

Much has changed in the intervening 11 months. Chelsea travel to the north of the capital fourth in the Premier League and in a strong position to return to the Champions League.

Arsenal, meanwhile, have seen their title challenge wither in recent weeks and are winless in three games.

Arteta has spoken highly of the impact that Blues counterpart Maresca has had at Stamford Bridge this season.

The former Leicester boss has installed a disciplined style that prioritises rigid positional play and dominance of the ball but has hinted he could depart from his principles if Arsenal take a grip of the game themselves.

Arteta agreed that the game presents a wholly different challenge to last season’s non-contest.

“I think it’s going to be a very different game,” he said. “I think the way they’ve developed as a team is very impressive, what Enzo has done, the amount of talent that they have in the squad. A really tough match and we’ll have to be at our best.

“Two teams that want to be very dominant in the way of playing, very aggressive on the high press and the way we have to have the ball. A lot of individual quality on that pitch.

“It’s about imposing what you want and the direction that you want to take the game and keep them very far from their strengths.”

Arsenal will be without Raheem Sterling who is on loan from Chelsea and is ineligible to face his parent club.

It comes at an inopportune moment after the 30-year-old was man of the match during Wednesday’s Champions League draw with PSV Eindhoven, assisting goals for Oleksandr Zinchenko and Declan Rice.

Asked whether it was frustrating to lose Sterling at a moment when he was finally coming into form, Arteta said: “I think so but it is what it is. We knew about it. He played, he played well (against PSV), he was contributing to the goals that we scored.

“It’s very good, that’s what we need, players in good form with good spirit and good confidence, and certainly that performance is going to help him.”

Chelsea boss Maresca has no fit strikers available for Sunday’s game, a predicament familiar to Arteta with both clubs having struggled lately with injuries.

Winger Pedro Neto has filled in at number nine with mixed success, with Chelsea having looked especially blunt in attack in recent weeks.

“It’s quite strange for both (teams),” said Maresca. “They are trying find solutions, we are trying to find solutions. Pedro is doing very well in that position. We’ll see if we use him there Sunday or change something.

“All clubs during the season have moments where they have injuries so they need to adapt and be flexible.”