Sunday 17 September 2017 11:49, UK
Ahead of their Nissan Super Sunday clash, Paul Merson picks his combined Chelsea-Arsenal team.
Merse struggled to fit in any of Arsene Wenger's men in his line-up, suggesting the gap between the pair is bigger than ever. Here's his XI and his justification...
I honesty can't make a case for anyone other than Alexis Sanchez, the clubs are chalk and cheese and it's sad. This is Arsenal versus Chelsea and I can only find one Arsenal player. Where has it all gone wrong?
Ten years ago I'd be fighting to get a Chelsea player in. I'm not being harsh. People will say I'm taking the mickey but I'd like to sit down with an Arsenal fan and discuss who would really get in.
I'm being kind with Sanchez if anything. If you're a Chelsea fan you're thinking that's harsh on Pedro and Willian on current form.
I know Petr Cech played well against Liverpool but he's not the goalkeeper he used to be, so I have to go with Thibaut Courtois.
They both play three at the back but Arsenal's three are awful. Nacho Monreal wouldn't get in if I was picking a combined XI against a bottom-half team. That's not his fault, he's being played out of position.
Should Laurent Koscielny be in there? How good has he been over the last few years? Per Mertesacker is still Arsenal's best defender.
Then I've got Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso on the flanks and even if you suggested Antonio Rudiger has not proved himself then I'd have Azpilicueta at centre-back and Victor Moses on the right.
The holding two are definitely going to be N'Golo Kante and Cesc Fabregas. Nobody can tell me Aaron Ramsey, Granit Xhaka or Mohamed Elneny are better.
Then I'd have Sanchez, Eden Hazard and Alvaro Morata as my attacking three. Alexandre Lacazette has done OK but he's not a better finisher than Morata.
I've picked a 3-4-2-1 as that's what both sides have been playing so I don't know if Mesut Ozil would fit into that system.
Ozil certainly doesn't get in ahead of Hazard and I don't think many Arsenal fans would put him in ahead of Sanchez. I've picked a team to win a football match, not a fantasy side based on technical ability.
Merse has selected Courtois, Bailly, Fabregas, Fellaini and Lukaku in his team for Sky Bet Dribble, the new Fantasy Football game.
