Former Liverpool midfielder Donald Hutchison has predicted that Arsenal will not keep a clean sheet when they battle London neighbors Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday, December 29.
The Gunners have been plunged into a defensive crisis with left-backs Kieran Tierney and Sead Kolasinac ruled out of tomorrow's game, while central defenders Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Rob Holding, and right-back Hector Bellerin are rated as doubtful.
With the Gunners short at the back, Bukayo Saka has been forced to play at left-back in the last two matches and the England U19 international could line-up in a four-man defence also containing David Luiz, Shkodran Mustafi and Maitland-Niles against Chelsea.
Speaking on the Premier League Weekend Warm-up Show, Hutchison said : "I look at the two sides, I still think Chelsea are a little bit stronger. If they go with Willian who is in great form, or Pulisic or Pedro, there's a lot of legs in there - Kante, Jorginho, Azpilicueta.
"Whoever they play at the back, I've got a feeling he may revert to the three-man partnership at the back that he did against Tottenham, played with two wing-backs.
"When you look at this back four - Saka, David Luiz, Mustafi, Maitland-Niles - I don't think they have got a clean sheet in them. I don't think they have.
"Whoever they play at the back, I've got a feeling he may revert to the three-man partnership at the back that he did against Tottenham, played with two wing-backs.
"When you look at this back four - Saka, David Luiz, Mustafi, Maitland-Niles - I don't think they have got a clean sheet in them. I don't think they have.
"This is a case for Arsenal to make sure they stay in the game, make sure you are competitive because if Chelsea get the first goal and the second, it could be a big scoreline".
Saka is not entirely new to the left-back position, having played same role for Arsenal and England youth teams in the past.
Ifeanyi Emmanuel
Photo Credit : arsenal.com
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