The massive games are coming thick and fast for Chelsea.

Lenny Boyle

Follow @elven11

Arsenal v Chelsea - Saturday Sky Sports 2

The massive games are coming thick and fast for Chelsea. An FA Cup semi-final with London rivals Tottenham preceded an even bigger clash with the reigning greatest team ever in Barcelona. Their schedule has been contracting. 

A season defining battle every three days. And there is no respite because Chelsea travel across town to Arsenal on Saturday lunch time. The strange thing about Chelsea’s seemingly impossible schedule is that, so far, they have come through it unscathed. 5-1 against Spurs to reach the FA Cup final and a siege like performance against Barcelona to take a 1-0 advantage into the second leg.

Arsenal come in to the tie in less than blistering form however. A Monday Night Football contest with Wigan saw them, shockingly, 2-0 down after ten minutes. They did get one back but the shock with which they conceded those two early goals left them licking their wounds for the rest of the game.

And Arsene Wenger faces a problem in midfield ahead of this derby. Mikel Arteta has been ruled out for the rest of the season with ankle ligament damage. And with on loan Yossi Benayoun ineligible to play against his parent club; Arsenal are threadbare in the middle of the park.

But despite these issues, and despite Chelsea coming in on some of the best form they have enjoyed this season, Arsenal still hold a sizable advantage on Chelsea in the Premier League table. Seven points stand between them. Chelsea’s focus lies more with overtaking Newcastle and Tottenham who sit fourth and fifth with two more points - 59 - than Chelsea.

Arsenal’s focus lies with shoring up third and Champions League qualification for next season. A task they look more than capable of achieving. The same can not be said for Chelsea, despite recent results. But there will be a lot of jostling in the weeks to come in the race for third and fourth.