Rio Ferdinand is worried about Arsenal’s ability to turn their poor form around as the Gunners prepare to face Chelsea in a London derby on Wednesday night.
Mikel Arteta’s side have dropped from fourth to sixth after losing three consecutive Premier League games. They have conceded six goals in total during defeats to Crystal Palace, Brighton and Southampton.
Those results mean Arsenal now face an uphill battle to get back in front of Manchester United and north London rivals Tottenham. One positive for Arteta and his team is their game in hand on United and Spurs.
They play Chelsea at Stamford Bridge next, although it is not the best time to come up against the Blues.
They thrashed Southampton 6-0 in their last Premier League outing, on Saturday April 9.
Thomas Tuchel’s men then beat Real Madrid 3-2 at the Bernabeu. It was an impressive result, but they couldn’t quite reach the Champions League semis after a 3-1 defeat in the first leg.
On Sunday, Chelsea won 2-0 against Crystal Palace at Wembley to book their place in the FA Cup final. They have the chance to win the competition for the ninth time after losing in the 2020 and 2021 finals.
Rio Ferdinand makes Chelsea vs Arsenal prediction
While appearing on his Vibe with Five YouTube channel, Ferdinand was asked about Arsenal’s trip to Chelsea.
He is unsure if Arsenal will be able to re-establish their top-four credentials by picking up three points in west London.
“Chelsea have got Arsenal – massive game,” the former Manchester United defender said.
“Can Arsenal turn it around? I don’t know, it’s been a bad couple of games for them.
“Chelsea look to be back in form, got themselves in the final. Wow, I don’t see Arsenal getting a result there.”
At his pre-match press conference, Arteta said Arsenal will ‘assess’ Alexandre Lacazette to see if he can play. The French forward is recovering from coronavirus.
Right-back Takehiro Tomiyasu is ‘very close’ to returning, although the Chelsea game may come one week too early.
Chelsea will be without Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovacic due to the ankle injury he sustained against Palace. He will be on the sidelines for at least two weeks.
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