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LONDON. – Arsenal travel across town to a vengeful Chelsea tomorrow afternoon knowing that another depressing defeat at Stamford Bridge would see their English Premier League soccer title hopes swept away with the lunchtime leftovers.

Victory for Chelsea in the early kick-off will send the Blues 12 points clear at the top and draw a definitive line under the 3-0 mauling Antonio Conte’s side suffered at the Emirates in September.

Chelsea went on a 13-match winning run after that setback – their heaviest loss of the campaign so far – and are favourites against third-placed opponents shocked by a stinging 2-1 home loss to Watford in midweek.

“When you lose a match like that (in September) playing for this kind of club, it is very hard to accept,” said Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic ahead of a derby that never lacks needle. “I hoped it was going to be a wake-up call for us and it was . . sometimes you have to lose a game to wake up and I am sure we will not allow any more defeats like that one,” he told reporters after Chelsea drew 1-1 at Liverpool.

“Are we looking forward to this game even more to put things right? Of course.”

Arsenal fans, who still have nightmares about the 6-0 drubbing suffered at Chelsea on manager Arsene Wenger’s 1 000th game in charge in 2014, will be hoping that the Watford result has a similar galvanising effect. – Reuters.