Per Mertesacker backing Arsenal to exploit the chinks in Chelsea's armour despite dreadful Stamford Bridge record

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Per Mertesacker believes that Arsenal can exploit Chelsea’s weaknesses when they go to Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Arsenal have a dismal record, losing their last five straight, and seven of their last eight, at the home of the champions. But they did manage to spring a surprise beating Chelsea at Wembley in the FA Cup final in May and again in August’s Community Shield.

Mertesacker said that Sunday’s match would not be quite the same – “there are different circumstances at Stamford Bridge” – but that there were tactical weaknesses in Chelsea’s game that they could take advantage of.

“We have certainly found our rhythm against Chelsea at Wembley, but there’s different circumstances at Stamford Bridge,” Mertesacker said. “To make sure we keep the rhythm from Wembley, the way we played them, the way we prepared those games, which really made the difference is really down to us. Confidence-wise, we should be on top of that.”

Arsenal fans will be in the minority on Sunday, giving Chelsea the crowd advantage, but Mertesacker thinks that there will still be gaps in the champions’ game.

“It is a different picture and a different game,” Mertesacker said. “They have habits in their game, though, and we need to read that well. That is what we did, especially twice at Wembley in the past few months.”

Those ‘habits’ for Arsenal to take advantage of are when the Chelsea try to play out through their three centre-backs. “I think those who watched the games very closely could see they have got habits, especially playing out from the back,” Mertesacker said. “We allow them just a little bit, but not too much, and stand on the right side of our position. The key is to stick to what we have done. We have to prove it at Stamford Bridge, we need to implement the same habits.”

The problem is that Arsenal have a terrible record not just at Chelsea but at all away games at big teams. Before the transfer window closed they went to Anfield and lost 4-0 to a rampant Liverpool side. It is the type of scoreline they lose by too often and Mertesacker warned that they must avoid a repeat of the same on Sunday.

“I think we need to learn quickly from those defeats, especially the way we felt being punished, by Liverpool’s match-plan, and us not sticking to ours,” Mertescaker said. “We have to learn quickly and not do the same mistakes again. They beat us on the break, and I think Chelsea will try to do the same on Sunday. It will be quite an equal game, they try to get the ball from us high and then get on a break.”

Arsenal lost 3-1 at Stamford Bridge in February, a game with a familiar feel, and Mertesacker does not want another repeat this weekend. “The way we got defeated there last year is the measure we have to look at.”