Abaca Press

Marcel Desailly has backed his former side to beat Arsenal when they meet at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Chelsea struggled to find their feet at the start of the season under Mauricio Pochettino but have slowly found form.

They came into the international break after two back-to-back wins against Fulham and Burnley, with Chelsea fans hoping they can continue like they let off this weekend.

They will need to be at their best as their upcoming fixtures will be extremely challenging, starting with Arsenal at home.

A win against Mikel Arteta’s Gunners would be a statement for the Blues with former defender Desailly backing his old side.

It looks impossible, but I’ll go for a 3-1 win [to Chelsea], Desailly told Gambling Zone via the Metro.

‘Why not? This is the beauty of the Premier League. As soon as a team has a mental drop and isn’t ready for the intensity of a match, they can lose. When Arsenal players arrive at Chelsea, they may believe that it won’t be as difficult as it would at Tottenham, City, or eventually, Man United.

‘Those kinds of stadiums get players ready for the battle. When teams come to Chelsea, they’ll think they can win, despite how talented their players are.

‘The mental preparation will automatically drop, even if you try to control it.’

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