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Five lessons for Arsenal from their last five meetings with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge
Arsenal haven't always enjoyed happy and harmonious visits to Stamford Bridge in recent times. As they gear up for the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final across London, we look at five lessons Arsene Wenger's side should have learned from their last five trips.
Wenger; beware your seat selection
The Frenchman finds himself back in the stands at Stamford Bridge this evening as he serves the second of his three-match ban. It's becoming a familiar situation for Wenger after sitting among the Chelsea faithful for Arsenal's 3-1 league loss last February.
On that day, Wenger found himself unknowingly in the company of his gardener in the corporate executive seats and led to a bizarre conversation.
“I sat next to a guy who says ‘Hello, how are you?," Wenger recalled yesterday. "I said ‘Good afternoon.’ He said, ‘I’m your gardener’.
“I didn’t even know him. I do have a big garden. He was an Arsenal fan who went to the game at Chelsea. But it was a very uncomfortable experience."
Wenger has said he will find a different place this time to sit and will communicate with assistant Steve Bould in the technical area via a mouthpiece. Extra security will be laid on from Chelsea to keep Wenger out of arm's reach from any bother - or indeed another strange encounter with one of his staff members from Wenger towers.
Keep your cool
It's easier said than done to instruct a team to keep their heads in the cauldron of a London derby and one with silverware within touching distance.
While Chelsea haven't been angels in this fixture, Arsenal have collected one more red card than their rivals in the last five clashes in west London.
Kieran Gibbs was sent off in a case of mistaken identity back in 2014, Gabriel fell for Diego Costa's old tricks in the same match that saw Santi Cazorla collect a second booking for a sliding tackle on Cesc Fabregas back in the autumn of 2015.
Arsenal can go back to September 2016 as the last time they took on Chelsea over 90 minutes without blotting their copybook with a red OR yellow card. Their 3-0 win coming in the comfort of their own back garden, mind.
Away from home and the hostile surroundings at the Bridge remains a different story. Calum Chambers has been booked twice with Arsenal collecting eight yellows overall.
Don't give Hazard an inch
Eden Hazard has shaken off a calf complaint to face Arsenal tonight and Wenger's men don't need reminding of the tricks and skills at his disposal.
The Belgian was at his mesmeric best and stole the show against the Gunners last February with a silky solo goal, one that Wenger later decribed as a 'killer'.
Hazard has scored nine goals in 26 appearances overall this season but especially enjoys turning on the style against Arsenal.
In the 881 minutes he has spent on the pitch in 12 matches against Arsenal, the 27-year-old has converted four of his nine shots on target.
Hazard in recent weeks drew criticism from Wenger for the 'farcical' penalty that Chelsea were awarded at the Emirates. The Frenchman hasn't let the issue lie and will be keen to thwart the danger created by Hazard before he gets anywhere near Arsenal's box. Which leads us nicely to point four...
Don't be reckless in the box
Wenger's gripe with Hazard over the incident in the epic 2-2 draw may be rumbling on but their penalty count against Chelsea is on the rise.
Chelsea have converted all six penalties won against Arsenal in all Premier League fixtures, two of which have come in the last five clashes in west London.
Wenger can't have any grumbles over both of those spot-kicks scored by Hazard. The first of which was an Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain handball in that 6-0 drubbing nearly four years ago.
Hazard was to score again from the spot in Chelsea's 2-0 win in October 2014 when the Belgian's trickery led to Laurent Koscielny sticking out a leg.
Stick to the game plan
Arsenal weren't handing out the gifts on their last visit to the Bridge last September and Wenger should adopt the same approach in tonight's first leg.
Arsenal took a disciplined and solid mindset to the game, earning their first point in six years at their rivals and more of the same this evening would set them on their way to a potential date at Wembley on February 25.
Wenger's tactics frustrated Chelsea who had David Luiz sent off late on for a reckless challenge on Sead Kolasinac.
Arsenal showed plenty of steel and attacking intent to stay toe-to-toe with Antonio Conte's men and were largely the better side.
The question now is whether Arsenal can repeat that same resilience again.