Chelsea boss Antonio Conte prepares his men for 'massive' Arsenal test: 'They have a squad to fight for the title'
- Chelsea welcome Arsenal to Stamford Bridge for the 1.30pm kick-off on Sunday
- Boss Antonio Conte believes Arsenal will bring a squad fighting for the title
- Chelsea have failed to beat the Gunners at the last two times of asking
- The Blues were hard at work on the training ground, leaving no stone unturned
- BETTING GUIDE: The best odds and tips ahead of the Stamford Bridge clash
Chelsea boss Antonio Conte was hard at work on the training ground on Friday to ensure his men were fully prepared for an Arsenal side he believes can 'fight for the title'.
Chelsea welcome the Gunners to Stamford Bridge on Sunday with Conte's side in perilous form following their 6-0 win over Champions League newcomers Qarabag on Tuesday.
An early blip against Sean Dyche's Burnley which threatened to derail the Blues seems all but a distant memory, with Conte's side following the result with four wins on the bounce.
Chelsea boss Antonio Conte was working on the training ground ahead of the Arsenal clash
Conte believes Arsenal have a squad which is capable to fight for the title this season
And his players were putting in the hard yards at their Cobham training base on Friday
But the Blues boss knows the threat Arsenal pose, having lost to the North London outfit on the last two occasions — the FA Cup final and the Community Shield last month.
And the Italian believes Chelsea's London rivals will come to Stamford Bridge armed with a squad which is able do some damage this term.
'Arsenal is one of the top six teams in England and I think they have a really good squad to fight for something important: the title,' Conte said.
Tiemoue Bakayoko, who scored his first Chelsea goal against Qarabag, vies for the ball
Cesc Fabregas, who is set to face his former club, unleashes a shot during training
Blues will hope Alvaro Morata is on target again this weekend when Arsenal visit
Cesar Azpilicueta chases down the ball as Chelsea players warm-up with El Rondo drill
'For this reason, it is a massive game for us. When you play against Arsenal, it is a massive game, the same against [Manchester] City, Liverpool, [Manchester] United and Tottenham.
'Anything can happen and we have to fight.'
In the previous two outings between the two clubs, Chelsea have struggled with ill-discipline.
On both occasions, they failed to keep 11 men on the field and Conte said: 'I hope to finish the game with 11 players.
'When you start the game, you try to keep always the right discipline.'
Eden Hazard, who made his long-awaited comeback this week, appears in good spirits
Goalkeepers Thibaut Courtois and Willy Caballero go through their own training session
Conte will hope his side continue their perilous form when the Gunners come this weekend
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