Blue View: How will top two cope with role reversal?

Mario Melchiot

As champions, Chelsea are finally the main men coming into this fixture, which is a position we never experienced during my time at Stamford Bridge. Under Claudio Ranieri we always believed we could beat Arsenal, but even at the Bridge we were always the underdogs. Chelsea are the daddies now, so it’s a role reversal and I can’t wait to see how both sides deal with that shift.

For once, all the pressure is on Chelsea. They are the high-flyers, the big shots. Arsenal on the other hand are the wounded animal. They have been top dogs for so long in London; it must be hard for them to see the Blues getting all the glory. There is no doubt at all that Arsenal’s pride has been hurt, so I’m fascinated to see how they respond tomorrow.