Lampard sacked or title race over: Arsenal-Chelsea really matters

If Arsenal fans were handpicking an opponent to help get their spluttering Premier League title bid back on the road, it would not be Chelsea. But then the current iteration of the Blues are not the Chelsea we have been used to in recent years.

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A team 19th in the form guide over the last six games are exactly the kind of opposition Mikel Arteta’s men need to get their mojo back. Even Rob Holding could look like Paolo Maldini against an anaemic Blues attack which has one goal in seven games.

That dire record has not been helped by Frank Lampard’s recent penchant for 5-4-1 – an understandably conservative formation in the Champions League against Real Madrid but baffling at home to a Brentford team who hadn’t won in six. With Raheem Sterling handed a thankless and lonely task up front the Bees, like Madrid, left with a 2-0 victory.

‘We’re not in a great moment are we?’ Lampard admitted on Monday.

Arteta must know how he feels. ‘What we have to do is forget about what happened last week, learn from it and move on to the next game with a full tilt at home, with our people, London derby, and put things right,’ said the Arsenal boss.

If Chelsea can’t manage any better in their latest London derby then Lampard could be sacked for the second time this year.

If Arsenal can’t make it six wins in seven games against the Blues the title race is probably over.

• 2-0 – Win for Chelsea on their last trip to the Emirates in August 2021, with Romelu Lukaku on the scoresheet and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang among the Arsenal subs

• 3 – Wins from 23 league games for Frank Lampard in charge of Everton and Chelsea this season. Roy Hodgson has four wins from six games in charge of Crystal Palace

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