Enzo Maresca's personnel decision
Chelsea have scored 41 goals in 19 games this season and among the Premier League sides, only Arsenal have a better scoring record than the Blues in all competitions.
However, the way coach Enzo Maresca organizes the attack this weekend as well as the choice of who will start will be the key decision. Especially when the opponent has an excellent defense like Arsenal.
Cole Palmer is likely to return. However, whether he will be fit enough to start is still a question mark, especially when Palmer has just recovered from a groin injury and then a broken toe.
This means that Joao Pedro can continue to take on the role of number 10. But the bigger problem lies in the striker position, when Chelsea's 9-man squad has only scored one goal in the Premier League this season. Maresca's options could be Liam Delap, Marc Guiu or even Joao Pedro pushed higher.
Maresca deployed Pedro Neto as a fully-fledged left-forward against Barcelona in the Champions League. However, Delap's first goal in the Champions League when coming off the bench could give him more motivation.
Another attack decision Chelsea will have to consider is whether Estevao will start.
Estevao started in the match against Barcelona and shined with a beautiful goal. However, Maresca has always been cautious in allocating playing time to the 18-year-old. Thisvao has not played consecutively since August.
The Blues fans will certainly be looking forward to seeing Estevao start at Stamford Bridge. This means Neto will be moved to the left wing, while Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens - who started there against Burnley - will be on the bench.
Minimize Arsenal's attacking power
Arsenal not only have a solid defense but are also leading the Premier League in goals scored this season.
After Marc Cucurella stopped Lamine Yamal, the one-on-one confrontation between him and Bukayo Saka promises to be one of the notable highlights of the match. However, Saka is likely to receive support from captain Martin Odegaard. This will certainly bring Chelsea fans back haunting memories.
The Norwegian midfielder assisted both of Arsenal's goals against Chelsea last season. Odegaard has also scored seven goals against Chelsea - his best against any Premier League opponent.
If the Arsenal captain is not ready to play from the start, Eberechi Eze - who is in good form - will be given the opportunity, with the goal of continuing his hat-trick in the North London derby and an assist against Bayern Munich. In general, the depth of the "Gunners" squad at the moment is really impressive.
Enzo Fernandez is likely to return to the right midfield role, while captain Reece James will take on the role of right-back, responsible for supporting on the left wing. At the same time, Moises Caicedo will compete fiercely with Declan Rice on the other side of the front line in the midfield area.
With Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres trying to return from injury, the threat from Arsenal promises to become more diverse and unpredictable than ever.
After 12 consecutive games without a joint start in centre-back, Trevoh Chalobah and Wesley Fofana need to prove they deserve to be the top choice in Chelsea's defence centre.
How to neutralize Arsenal's set pieces?
Without Gabriel Martinelli, Arsenal still have formidable free kicks and corners. Bayern Munich are the Gunners' last victim from set-pieces, with Jurrien Timber heading the opening header after a corner kick in the Champions League.
Of course, Arsenal have also scored many goals from live football, but Maresca will certainly plan carefully to defend against set pieces. He needs to disable one of the Gunners' most prominent strengths.
Maresca could also take time to review his attacking options. Chelsea are currently fourth in terms of goals scored from set pieces this season, typically a goal from a corner against Barcelona recently.
