Chelsea have made a poor start to their English Premier League campaign; Arsenal so-so. Chelsea got some of their mojo back with an authoritative Champions League victory; Arsenal lost any momentum they had from the Premier League with an abysmal show in Europe.
So, when the London Derby between Chelsea and Arsenal at Stamford Bridge comes calling on Saturday, expect a match between two teams still trying to find their way in this new season.
Arsenal will take heart from the Community Shield victory over Chelsea that started the season – a win which was pretty significant considering it was the first time Arsene Wenger had actually tasted victory against Jose Mourinho.
An Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain goal was the difference between the two sides on that day, but considering the way the midfielder played in the 2-1 loss to Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday, it is safe to say he is likely to start on the bench at Stamford Bridge.
Arsenal had one of those oh-so-familiar nights in the Champions League again, rarely showing any substance and buckling under the pressure a little too easily.
Olivier Giroud failed to convince he deserves a place in the Arsenal starting XI ahead of Theo Walcott, getting himself sent off in just the 40th minute to put his teammates up against the wall.
Arsenal never recovered enough from that red card and from there on, there was that sense of inevitability.
"We could have been two or three-nil up in the first 20 minutes," Arsenal captain Mikel Arteta told the club's official website on the 2-1 loss to Dinamo Zagreb. "And after that we conceded a goal with the first chance they had.
"We were very unlucky. Obviously, with 10 men the game is difficult and different. We tried our best but we couldn't get back into the game. We haven't managed to win three games in a row which is very important. We had two in the pocket and wanted a good result in Zagreb.
"We have to react quickly. We're quite good at that. We've done it in the past. Saturday will be a very different game.
"[Chelsea] is a big game. We're upset and we have to react. Sometimes when you have disappointment in the body it's good because you find a good reaction."
While Arsene Wenger's decision to rotate his team backfired, Mourinho's worked wonders. A much-changed Chelsea side turned on the style against Maccabi Tel Aviv, and the Portuguese manager's big decision come Saturday will be whether to stick to the same team, or revert back to the tried and tested, even if they haven't performed as expected this season.
What Mourinho and everyone else concerned with Chelsea will find it difficult to wrap their heads around, though, will be Petr Cech playing for the opposition at Stamford Bridge. One of the reasons Stamford Bridge became a fortress over the last decade or so was Cech, and no matter what anyone says, it will be a weird feeling for everyone concerned, including the great goalkeeper himself.
English Premier League Schedule: Chelsea vs Arsenal.
Venue: Stamford Bridge.
Timings: 12.45 pm local time (5.15 pm IST, 7.45 am ET).
Date: Saturday, 19 September.
Where to Watch Live: Star Sports 2, Star Sports HD2 (India), BT Sport1 (UK), NBCSN (USA), TSN5 (Canada), Fox Sports 4 (Australia).
