Arsenal have trio to rub salt in Chelsea’s wounds after Mykhaylo Mudryk drama

Arsenal are looking to once more underline their Premier League title credentials away at a rejuvenated Chelsea this weekend. Fresh from beating Manchester City before the international break, the Gunners head to Stamford Bridge with three players who can rub Chelsea’s noses in it.

Back in January, in the midst of a title fight with City, Arsenal were looking to sign Mykhaylo Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk. But Chelsea stepped in to hijack the deal and agreed a massive £88million deal with the Ukrainian club.

Arsenal had done much legwork towards signing the winger but the Telegraph say that despite their interest, they were unwilling to match the bid because of their summer transfer plans. Instead, Leandro Trossard joined for £21m plus add-ons from Brighton.

In the summer months, Arsenal spent over £200m to sign Jurrien Timber from Ajax, Kai Havertz from Chelsea and Declan Rice from West Ham. Their reluctance to overpay for Mudryk allowed them to go big for Rice who has already been a massive presence in Mikel Arteta’s midfield.

The Mudryk saga, even if he goes on to become a Chelsea success, has worked massively in Arsenal’s favour. Mudryk is still to stamp his mark in England with just one goal and two assists in 25 appearances. He has amassed a mere 1,057 minutes – though he clearly has a lot of untapped potential still.

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The more experienced Trossard, who is six years Mudryk’s senior, meanwhile has four goals and 11 assists in 29 appearances (1,386 minutes) for Arsenal. And Rice – who had long been expected to rejoin Chelsea before his switch to north London – has been an immediate hit too. If Arteta is to mastermind a title triumph, Rice will be pivotal.

Rice is expected to start in the middle at Chelsea although Trossard may have to settle for a bench role, with the fit-again Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka hoping to start on either side.

Havertz may be alongside Trossard in the reserves. The German too will feel like he has a point to prove against his former club. It has been a hit-and-miss start for the German at the Emirates thus far.

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The £65m summer signing does however have a goal and an assist in his last two Premier League outings and so returns to Stamford Bridge confident. Any of the trio contributing to victory for Arteta’s charges would no doubt make it taste even sweeter.

After all, it is questionable whether any of them would be at Arsenal if they had signed Mudryk at the start of the year. The Gunners have responded brilliantly to missing out on the forward – and victory this Saturday would prove that further against a Chelsea team desperately searching to continue its winning momentum.

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