A week of instability both on and off the pitch. At least that’s what it can be seen as, that is.

While results for the Arsenal have been anything but ideal in recent weeks, off the pitch the news of Edu’s departure from his sporting director role has also been a main headline.

A change of the hierachy that is cause for concern to some people, and a natural turnover to others. The reality painted, is that Edu wants a project where he has more of a hands on approach, but with how shaky things have been on the pitch at times, it’s easy to think of the worst behind the scenes.

Still, with Edu departing, that is now an invincible out of the building. A lot of clubs take pride in having a modern-day connection to their strongest achievements of yesteryear. Arsenal are no strangers to that ourselves, with players as recent as Jack Wilshere and Per Mertesacker taking on roles at the club, while the likes of Steve Bould, Pat Rice and of course our current manager also having hundreds of Arsenal games under their belt.

What I ask is, is there any former Gunners you’d like to see involved at the club again? Anybody who you think could have a positive influence, whether in the structure of the club and the mood, or simply coaching in general.

Back to the present, and Stamford Bridge awaits for a war-weary Arsenal side. A blunt display in our last Premier League outing, followed by a much-improved, though-still-goalless display against Inter leaves Arsenal in a position of needing something to click to force home a notable result before the international break.

Mikel Arteta isn’t a stranger to facing Chelsea after a tough run of form. Many saw the 3-1 win at home in December 2020 as a major moment in Arteta retaining his job, while a 4-2 win at the Bridge in 2022 halted a three-match losing streak (ahem), and a 3-1 win in May 2023 ended a four-match winless run. Arteta will be hoping that the recent months’ combination of injuries, notable match-turning decisions and a tough fixture list can start to wean away on Sunday. With Martin Ødegaard back, and a kinder schedule as we enter the busy festive period, a win away at Chelsea without anymore noteworthy disciplinary moments or cheap penalty giveaways would be a nice change of pace and something to regain some momentum with.

Will Arsenal be able to channel recent results against the blues into more good fortune on Sunday? With memories at the Bridge as recent as Nketiah and Gabriel and as timeless as Kanu and Winterburn and many more, let’s hope so. Maybe a first goal for the club for Timber? A memorable Ethan moment off the bench? Either way, let’s hope those three points are in the hands of those in red come 6:30pm Sunday.

Nick.