While we all know how vital it will be to seize all three against Chelsea on Tuesday, it would be all too easy to write off the clown-car that Boehly has assembled over the last few transfer windows. After all, despite all of that spending, Chelsea languish laughably midtable with only a glimmer of a chance at qualifiyng for a Europa Conference League spot. What’s more, they’ll arrive at the Emirates without the services of close to ten players. What’s to fear? It’ll be a walk in the park, will it not? Not so fast.

Despite being without Fofana, James, Lavia, Colwill Nkunkwu, and Ugochukwu, and possibly without Palmer, Chilwell, or Gusto, Chelsea have rounded into one of the most in-form sides in the Prem over the last six weeks. Only three others—Man City, Newcastle, and us—have claimed more points than Chelsea have. Indeed, before their FA Cup semifinal loss to Man City, they had gone on their longest unbeaten run of the season: eight matches without loss. Their previous best? Four matches. Yes, that eight-match run did include a few cakewalks, but its termination came despite a creditable, even respectable performance in that FA Cup semifinal. But for some poor finishing, they might have gone through to the final, and that extra motivation could tip the scales in Chelsea’s favour.

Pochettino does seem to be molding this callow, naïve side into something steelier and cagier. They’ve drawn twice against City and once with us and Liverpool, showing a grim tenacity that might just serve as a platform towards something resembling relevance a season hence. Palmer’s potential absence would heap pressure on Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke, who were impetuous enough if not clinical enough to challenge Palmer for the right to take a penalty during Chelsea’s 6-0 win over Everton (the scoreline was already 4-0). Despite their progress, there’s still some friction and tension in the squad.

Whether we can make the most of that internal tension is a pertinent question. We had to go through the gears to get three points against Wolves. Can we count on our Emirates supporters to give us a boost? Let’s hope so.

If there’s a saving grace to the kind of late-season fixture congestion that afflicts those at the top of the table, it’s that Chelsea, despite their mid-table form, have suffered something somewhat similar to our own. We each played on Saturday, and, if even we played the later match (and have played midweek for months now), we have to feel like the momentum and imperative put the wind in our sails. Chelsea now have little left to play for other than pride—and that can be be a powerful source of motivation. However, we’re playing for a chance to win the Prem for the first time in twenty years, and that surely has to impress upon our lads the significance of this derby.

Simply put, we can’t afford to assume that Chelsea will come in as Keystone Cops. They’re more than capable and are, if anything, gathering momentum. I don’t care so much about stopping that momentum or about Chelsea’s prospects for next season. All I care about—all any of us should care about, really—is claiming all three from Chelsea.

Arsenal 3-1 Chelsea. There. I said it. Is that a bold predicdtion? Share yours in the comments-section below.