Premier League preview: Arsenal v Chelsea

Marko Marin has claimed Chelsea have amassed enough attacking prowess to win the English Premier League as they prepare to take on Arsenal.

Chelsea signed four young attackers during the latest transfer window including Marin, and the 23-year-old German is excited by the club’s change to a more attacking focus this season.

While Eden Hazard and Oscar have grabbed the headlines so far, Marin is similarly talented and could be selected in Chelsea’s squad for the trip to Arsenal after he made his debut in the Blues’ 6-0 League Cup victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday.

“If you are to win the Premier League and Champions League, you need a lot of quality players,” Marin said.

“Chelsea have changed a lot since last season and now we have more attractive and offensive players.

“We hope that there are a lot of goals in this team because then it is more difficult for the other teams to play against us.”

Chelsea’s other new forward Victor Moses started and scored against Wolves, providing yet another option up front for manager Roberto Di Matteo.

When Di Matteo took over at Chelsea in March, the Italian manager focused on defence, with the Blues’ Champions League campaign a clear example.

But the inclusion of Hazard and Oscar has transformed the team’s approach and Chelsea sit top of the Premier League table after five rounds with nine goals scored, and are the early front-runners for the title.

Chelsea’s opponents on Saturday, Arsenal, have scored the same number of goals and, with both teams having conceded only twice this season, the Premier League clash shapes as an even match.

Arsenal also had a big win in the League Cup, smashing Coventry City 6-1 on Wednesday.

That win came without Arsenal’s two main attackers, as both Santi Cazorla and Lukas Podolski were given a rest.

Podolski and Arsenal started slowly this season but the German forward’s breakthrough goal in a 2-0 win over Liverpool has sparked his form and that of the club; and Marin knows Chelsea will need to be wary of his compatriot.

“I know Lukas from the national team and at the beginning (at Arsenal) it was all new to him but now he is doing well and has scored a few goals,” Marin said.

“But we have a very good defence and Branislav (Ivanovic) will do very well at right-back.”

Arsenal are fifth on the Premier League table heading into Saturday’s game and will have Emmanuel Frimpong available after the young midfielder returned from a knee injury against Coventry.

Jack Wilshere, Bacary Sagna and Tomas Rosicky are all at least a week away.

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