MARTIN KEOWN’S BIG MATCH GUIDE

MESUT OZIL is the key for Arsenal in this game. He has an incredible set of statistics for assists but I feel he has got to do more in the big games. When Arsenal lose the ball Ozil (below) needs to get back into the team’s shape much earlier than he does and he must work harder to recover possession. In the Premier League-winning teams I played in, Dennis Bergkamp worked incredibly hard in that central position. That is what Ozil needs to do. If he ups his work-rate by 10 per cent Arsenal could seriously test Chelsea.

MIDFIELD MUST KEEP HAZARD QUIET

GIVEN Arsenal’s lack of options in midfield, I expect Arsene Wenger to play Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain alongside Francis Coquelin at Stamford Bridge. Oxlade-Chamberlain did very well there with Ainsley Maitland-Niles at Southampton in the FA Cup. He sat quite deep in midfield and was close to being man of the match. Now he must go up a level. Oxlade-Chamberlain will have to deal with Eden Hazard, who moves the ball and darts around the pitch with great pace. Arsenal’s midfield cannot afford to leave Hazard in a one-v-one situation. They must get numbers around him.

USE AERIAL THREAT

CHELSEA seem a little vulnerable from balls into the box. Tottenham beat Antonio Conte’s side last month with two Dele Alli headers from Christian Eriksen crosses. While he struggled against Watford and was taken off at half-time, Olivier Giroud could be preferred as the No 9 instead of Alexis Sanchez due to his aerial threat. Theo Walcott looked sharp off the bench on Tuesday and Danny Welbeck was so good against Southampton. Arsenal may be lacking at the base of their midfield but there is no questioning the firepower in their squad. SCORE PREDICTION: 2-2