Chelsea face Arsenal in biggest test of Alonso era — SkimNews
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- Arsenal host Chelsea at the Emirates on Sunday, Sept. 6 (11:30 a.m. ET, USA Network), listed as -143 favorites, with Arsenal facing Napoli in the Champions League on Wednesday
- Chelsea have scored seven goals in two matches through Joao Pedro, Morgan Rogers, and a now-healthy Cole Palmer, but have conceded five — with Emi Martinez arriving from Aston Villa and a new system still bedding in under Alonso
- Chelsea lost Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City on deadline day and missed out on Monaco's Lamine Camara after the French side pulled out of the deal once Folarin Balogun's move to Everton collapsed
- Chelsea's only natural midfielders are Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, and Valentin Barco, with Reece James available to fill in — a thin unit Mikel Arteta is expected to target
- Arsenal are the only Premier League side yet to concede this season, anchored by Gabriel in William Saliba's absence
- Xabi Alonso arrived at Chelsea after leading Bayer Leverkusen to an undefeated 2023-24 Bundesliga title, per the source
Why it matters: Chelsea arrive with a newly formed attack that has clicked (seven goals in two games) but a thin midfield of three natural options and a defense that has already shipped five — vulnerabilities Arsenal, yet to concede, can exploit even while rotating for Napoli. A result at the Emirates would move Alonso's side into the early title picture alongside Arsenal and Manchester City; a loss would harden doubts about whether the defensive overhaul can hold up against top opposition.
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