Arsenal v Chelsea

Emirates Stadium
Sunday, 6 May
Kick-off: 1600

Arsenal's Czech midfielder Tomas Rosicky is rated only 50/50 because of a hamstring problem.
Freddie Ljungberg (hamstring) is out, along with Thierry Henry (groin and stomach), Robin van Persie (broken foot) and Theo Walcott (shoulder).

Chelsea have fitness doubts over Ricardo Carvalho (knee) and Andriy Shevchenko (groin).
Michael Ballack is out after ankle ligament surgery, while teenage rookie Scott Sinclair is named in the squad.

Interview: Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger

Arsenal (from): Lehmann, Eboue, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Hleb, Fabregas, Gilberto, Diaby, Baptista, Adebayor, Almunia, Denilson, Senderos, Djourou, Hoyte, Aliadiere, Rosicky.

Chelsea (from): Cech, Cudicini, Hilario, Geremi, Ferreira, Diarra, Terry, Essien, A Cole, Bridge, Lampard, Makelele, Mikel, Wright-Phillips, Drogba, Kalou, Shevchenko, J Cole, Morais, Robben.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger:"I feel you have to respect the desire of the player - and it was Ashley Cole's desire to leave Arsenal.

"But he achieved a lot for the club, you must respect that. I want them (the fans) to remember what he did for the club.

"He was not happy here anymore so he decided to move. That does not take away what he achieved for the club."

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho:"We have four matches to play, four matches where we can win two (more) trophies.

"We can win one, or we can win none, but we have four matches to play and I think it is very, very important to show the nature of the players and their mentality.

"Our team is full of winners and you don't become a loser just because you lost an important game or are not as successful as you were in previous seasons.

"Winners are always winners and the mentality is inside. The future is more important than the past, as it is when we win, but when we lose, we have even more reason to say it strongly. And we look forward to the future.

BIG-MATCH FACTS

ARSENAL against Chelsea is the match that could decide the destiny of the Premiership title. If Manchester United beat City in Saturday's Manchester derby at Eastlands, and Chelsea fail to win at the Emirates, Sir Alex Ferguson's side will be crowned champions. Jose Mourinho's side must at least match United's result in their 60th game of the season, to keep the title issue alive.
The Gunners finished outside the top three for the first time in 10 seasons under Arsene Wenger, when they ended in fourth place last year. They are in danger of repeating that this time around despite losing only once at the Emirates Stadium. They've already guaranteed their place in Champions League pre-qualifying next season - their only achievement from a second successive trophy-less campaign.

Arsene Wenger's side have not beaten Chelsea on home soil since a 2-1 triumph on 18 October 2003, when Edu and Thierry Henry were on target.

CHELSEA must lift themselves for this London derby, having seen their hopes of a third successive Premiership title virtually wiped out last weekend, and dreams of a first Champions League final evaporated by Liverpool midweek. They still have a mouth watering FA Cup final against Manchester United to come, and a League meeting with the Red Devils before that - at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday. They will not want the Premiership trophy they have held for the last two seasons to have already been handed over before the midweek clash.

Despite their disappointments, the Blues are still unbeaten in 11 League games and have lost just one of the last 24. They've won eight, drawn two and lost one of their 11 Premiership London derbies this season, gaining 26 points, whereas Arsenal's record in capital clashes is won six, drawn two and lost three (20 points).

The Blues pay an initial visit to the Emirates Stadium, having won for the first time in 16 League trips to Arsenal in last season's corresponding fixture. Arjen Robben and Joe Cole scored in the 0-2 success. Now Mourinho's men are looking to extend their unbeaten Premiership run over the Gunners to six matches.

REFEREE

Alan Wiley (Burntwood, Staffordshire)
Premiership referees' table
Alan Wiley's 2006-07 Premiership card count

SEQUENCES/RECENT FORM

ARSENAL

Club stats
Fixtures

Going into the weekend: 4th 66 points(all statistics are ahead of this weekend's round of Premiership fixtures)
1. Unbeaten in five Premiership matches. Won three and drawn two since losing 0-1, home to West Ham on 7 April.
2. Scored 62 goals in the top division, at an average of one every 52 minutes. Only Manchester United (82) have scored more.
3. Won five top tier games from losing positions. Only Manchester United have won that many.
4. The Premiership's most dangerous club when behind. Gained 22 points from losing positions - the best recovery rate in the highest League. Won home to Blackburn, Manchester United, Wigan and Bolton, and away to Charlton. Drawn, home to Aston Villa, Middlesbrough, Everton, Newcastle and Portsmouth, and away to Middlesbrough and Tottenham, having trailed in all 12 fixtures.
5. Scored more goals in the last quarter-hour of Premiership matches than any other club - 21.
6. One of two clubs not to have lost a top flight match from a winning position. Manchester City is the other.
7. One of two clubs to hold an unbeaten record from Premiership matches in which the opening goal was scored - won 14 and drawn one of 15. Manchester City have won 11 and drawn one of the 12 matches in which they've taken the lead.
8. Won the last three at home against Bolton, Manchester City and Fulham.
9. Won as many home games, as Chelsea have managed on the road - 12.
10. The season ends at Portsmouth on Sunday, 13 May.

CHELSEA

Club stats
Fixtures

Going into the weekend: 2nd 80 points(all statistics are ahead of this weekend's round of Premiership fixtures)
1. Won nine and drawn two of the last 11 Premiership matches, since losing 2-0, away to Liverpool on 20 January.
2. Won 24 times in the top division so far this season - only Manchester United have gained more victories (27).
3. Lost fewer matches than any other club in the top table (three).
4. Kept clean sheets in nine of the last 11 League games, and in 11 of the last 14.
5. Opened the scoring in more Premiership matches than any other club (27), and failed to score in three. Only Manchester United can beat the latter of those two statistics, failing to find the net in only two matches.
6. Kept 21 clean sheets in the Premiership (won 19, drawn two), and conceded the opening goal in only six top flight games - better than any other club on both counts.
7. Not beaten in six away League games - won five and drawn one on the road since January's defeat at Anfield.
8. Will play 63 matches this season.
9. To meet Manchester United at Stamford Bridge in the Premiership next Wednesday, and Everton on the same ground and in the same competition on the following Sunday, before the FA Cup final against the Red Devils at the new Wembley on Saturday, 19 May.

KEY PLAYER NOTES/POTENTIAL MILESTONES

ARSENAL

Squad profiles

Robin VAN PERSIE is Arsenal's top scorer with 13 goals, 11 in the Premiership.

Cesc FABREGAS is the only remaining player to have participated in at least a part of every one of Arsenal's Premiership matches this season.

If he participates, William GALLAS will be facing his former club. The France international defender made 225 appearances (159 in the Premiership) and scored 14 goals (12 Premiership) in five seasons at Stamford Bridge until his move to Arsenal last August.

CHELSEA

Squad profiles

Didier DROGBA is the highest scoring Premiership player this season with 31 goals, 19 of which are League goals. The Ivory Coast International leads Manchester United's Cristiano RONALDO by three at the top of the table for the Barclays Golden Boot award.

ASHLEY COLE began his professional career with Arsenal, making 228 appearances (156 in the Premiership) and scoring nine goals (eight League) between August 1997 and his £5m move to Stamford Bridge in August 2006.

LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME

Arsenal 0-2 Chelsea
18 December 2005 - Ref: Rob Styles
Chelsea scorers: Robben 39, Joe Cole 73

THIS SEASON'S REVERSE FIXTURE

Chelsea 1-1 Arsenal
10 December 2006 - Ref: Alan Wiley
Chelsea scorer: Essien 84
Arsenal scorer: Flamini 78

HEAD TO HEAD TOTALS

Home and awayLeague: Arsenal 57 wins, Chelsea 39, Draws 43Prem: Arsenal 14 wins, Chelsea 5, Draws 10
at Arsenal onlyLeague: Arsenal 34 wins, Chelsea 17, Draws 18Prem: Arsenal 9 wins, Chelsea 1, Draws 4

The "League" figures in these Head to Head totals include all Premiership matches.

From : BBC Sports