Chelsea vs Arsenal: 4 players who could decide the outcome of the match

Matchday two of the 2018/2019 Premier League season takes place this weekend, and after the thrills and excitement from the opening weekend, we can look ahead to more action from this game week.

The weekend promises to throw up some exciting fixtures. Leicester would seek to bounce back from their opening day narrow 2-1 loss to Manchester United at Old Trafford by going all out for maximum points against newly promoted Wolverhampton Wanderers at the King Power Stadium.

Elsewhere, The Bluebirds of Cardiff would attempt to get their survival objective back on track by getting a victory against Newcastle, while Everton hosts Southampton at Goodison Park and Manchester United travel to Brighton.

The pick of the weekend, however, takes place on Saturday evening at Stamford Bridge as London heavyweights Chelsea and Arsenal clash.

Both clubs are in the upper echelons of Premier League ratings, and will rightly have aims of finishing in the top positions on the league table come May next year.

Both teams are in a period of transition, having employed new coaches during the summer break, more so in the case of Unai Emery who steps into the very large boots left behind by Arsene Wenger after the Frenchman resigned at the end of last season after 22 years in charge of Arsenal.

While Chelsea would come into the game full of confidence owing to their emphatic 3-0 victory away to Huddersfield, Arsenal will seek to have their confidence restored after the resounding defeat they suffered at home to Manchester City, where their visitors absolutely bossed proceedings from start to finish.

Both clubs boast a host of world class players who could single-handedly change a game on their own, and these players stepping up to the plate in Saturday's clash would be an important factor in determining who wins the clash.

Here are four players who would be key in deciding the outcome of this marquee fixture.

#4 Mesut Ozil

Mesut Ozil

The 29-year-old attacking midfielder joined Arsenal from Real Madrid for a then club record £42.5m fee in 2013, and since then he has blown hot and cold, as Arsenal fans complained over his lack of consistency and tendency to go awol in big matches.

He recently announced his decision to retire from international football, citing racism and lack of respect to his contribution to the German cause as the major reasons behind his shocking decision, and The Gunners can benefit from having his sole focus.

Though Mesut Ozil is probably the most divisive player in terms of public opinion, there is no denying that on his day, he is one of the world's premier attacking midfielders and holds the record of having recorded 50 Premier League assists in the fewest games, doing so in just 141 games (two fewer than Manchester United legend Eric Cantona who needed 143 matches to do so).

Arsenal lacked a creative spark in their defeat to Manchester United, and if Unai Emery is to get anything from Stamford Bridge, Mesut Ozil would have to be at the top of his game.

#3 Jorginho

Jorginho in action for Chelsea FC in the Premier League

Jorginho was the fulcrum through which every attacking play of Maurizio Sarri's Napoli went`. The Brazilian born Italian international is a class act in midfield, and his excellent range of passing makes him the perfect match for any team seeking to play possession-based football. It is no wonder Pep Guardiola is a keen admirer and sought to bring him to the Etihad until he ultimately chose to transfer to Stamford Bridge.

The 26-year-old created passing records in the Serie A that defy imagination. Since Opta started gathering data for passing stats in Serie A in 2004, Jorginho holds 9 out of the top ten spots for most passes attempted in a Serie A match.

In a 3-1 victory over Cagliari last season, Jorginho attempted a phenomenal 195 passes, completing 180 of them (92.3% accuracy), with 75.6% of those being forward passes, and at an average length of 13m.

Furthermore, he attempted and completed more passes than any other player across Europe's top five leagues last season (3197 attempted, 2860 completed).

Jorginho starred as Chelsea trashed Huddersfield last week, scoring the second goal of the match in the eventual 3-0 win. Although it is still early in Sarri's reign, it is obvious to see that Jorginho is central to his playing pattern, and against Arsenal, his passing abilities would come to the fore if Chelsea are to get the victory.

#2 Eden Hazard

Hazard is one of Chelsea's key players

Heavily touted as the galactico replacement for the Juventus bound Ronaldo at Real Madrid, Hazard now seems set to spend at least another season at Stamford Bridge.

The 28-year-old is undoubtedly one of the best players in the world, and though plagued by consistency issues, on his day, he has the key to unlock any defence in the world, and Chelsea are blessed to have him within their ranks.

After a disappointing 2017/2018 season for Chelsea, Eden Hazard reminded everyone of his qualities at the 2018 World Cup, where he put in a Silver Ball-winning performance to guide Belgium to her best World Cup finish in 52 years.

Hazard was unplayable at times, embarking on devastating runs and shouldering the responsibility of lifting Belgium, particularly in the quarter-final against Brazil, where he outplayed and outshone Neymar.

Despite resuming late for training due to an extended break for his World Cup exertions, Maurizio Sarri named him new team captain, and he starred with a dominant display in Chelsea's victory over Huddersfield last week.

With his record of 5 goals in 17 matches against Arsenal, The Gunners have to be wary of him, as he has pace in abundance to burn, evidenced by this beautiful solo goal, scored against Arsenal in the league two seasons ago

#1 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Aubameyang in action for Arsenal

The Gabonese international is Arsenal's record signing, following his £56m transfer from Borussia Dortmund on deadline day last January.

In Aubameyang, Arsenal have one of the best strikers in Europe, and he forged this reputation in Germany with Dortmund, where he scored 141 goals in 213 games across all competitions for the Signal Iduna Park outfit, including a 31-goal haul in the 2016/2017 season where he finished as the Bundesliga top scorer.

Likened to Arsenal legend Thierry Henry due to their similar playing pattern and speed, the 29-year-old Aubameyang impressed in his debut half season, scoring on his first game in an Arsenal shirt in the 5-1 rout of Everton in the Premier League, and ended the season with ten goals in just 13 league appearances.

He had a largely forgettable opening game against Manchester City, as he alongside most of his teammates were off colour.

Aubameyang would be desperate to lay his mark on the EPL, and Chelsea are the next target in sight, so the Blues defence would do well to be wary of the threat he poses.