We need to be crisp, accurate, incisive, and quick with our passing in wide situations building play towards the central area of their final third to play in the striker and our most attacking central midfielder

We have to beat Chelsea on Sunday. When we win, here are some of the things we might have done to edge the game.

1. Outmidfield them. Chelsea’s strength is their midfield. Essien, Ballack & Lampard will out-graft and out-scheme most teams.

Carletto has built on that core strength with his much talked about diamond formation. One of Essien, Ballack and Mikel plays at the ‘base ‘of the diamond, continuing Mourinho’s practice of playing a 3rd centre back in midfield.

At the tip of the ‘diamond’, one player is detailed to get in and around the opposition box.

It is a narrow formation that builds on Chelsea’s strengths. By massing up bodies in midfield, intensity is added to the physical and technical strength that Chelsea have. If you were going to lose the midfield battle to them already, you would now not only lose it, they’d be more dangerous in your last third.

Anelka will drop back into midfield and try to orchestrate attacks from deep. This might create confusion for teams. While it is a tactic that has worked for them this season, I think the centre backs should completely ignore this tactic, while the midfield concentrate on keeping shape, and the two wide forwards make sure they defend well 1-on-1 if he (Anelka) happens to be near them.

On the other hand Ancelotti’s diamond is also a surrender to their weaknesses. They do not have genuine width. While they rely on a resurgent Ashley Cole, and a capable Bosingwa to play most of the game as half-wingbacks, their narrow midfield means that teams that can play with cleverness and intensity around the fullback positions will get at Chelsea.

Look at the Wigan game to understand what I am saying. 2 of the Wigan games came from set-pieces. Forget the vulnerability displayed when the ball was crossed into the box.

Look instead at the fact that in both cases Wigan had two players out wide before the cross was made. The result was that the Chelski players did not know whether to send a man out wide to help defend the corner or to remain in the box and attack the cross.

It is not a weakness that exists only in corner or crossing situations. It is a weakness built into their formation.

What Arsenal have to do is to send players out to support whichever player has possession out wide. We need to be crisp, accurate, incisive, and quick with our passing in wide situations building play towards the central area of their final third to play in the striker and our most attacking central midfielder (Fabregas).

2. Start well.

Last season, we lost 1-4 to Chelsea at the Emirates. In that game, we could easily have been 3-0 up before half time. We did not take our chances, and they got ahead undeservedly with own goals and headers coming in off the post.

Chelsea will always start top games sitting back. In every single game against top opposition that I have seen them in, in the last 3-4 years they have done that.

It is why we have usually taken the lead against them in recent years. What we want to do on Sunday is to do what we did in recent years. We have to bombard them from the start, and this time make our advantage count.

We are more incisive and accurate this season than in previous seasons, and we simply have to make that count. Simply put, every chance should be put in the back of the net.

If somehow we do not make a good start count, then we have to make it a midfield game of inches. Keep shape, keep it tight in midfield.

Another of Chelsea’s weaknesses is that they can be very mechanical in midfield. They know what they are supposed to do, and they do it mechanically. If it works they are in business. If it does not, they look like Bolton. When it does not, it is usually because the other teams keep their shape.

The game will change again, and they will sit back, and you will have another period in which you can bombard them at will.

3. Drogba

If you are Arsenal you have to take care of Drogba. The way to do it is to get Gallas to deal with him. It has to be a physical battle, and the unfortunate reality is that with Drogba you have to play dirty. He will play dirty.

Didier Drogba gets away with throwing his weight around in ways referees don’t consider fouls. One example is leaning into the centre back while also holding the defender and taking small steps backwards. It is amazing how many times he uses this tactic and how productive it is.

It allows him to bring supporting players into play without really having to hold the ball up. It also allows him to win free kicks as, once centre backs push back against him, he goes down.

The other thing is to watch out for the hoofed ball upfield. So many Drogba goals against Arsenal have come from this tactic. We push up into their half, there is a 50-50 ball, some Chelski freak lumps it upfield, Drogba bullies the centre half and scores. Other times it is the same hoof, he’s fractionally offside but he goes on and scores. This time around, if it is necessary, the centre half should bring him down first-time if necessary. It is as simple as that.

4. Play at your best:

Chelsea have their best 20 players fit and available for their visit to the Ems. In that light they have an advantage since Arsenal have key players out. This means the 14 who feature for Arsenal have to play at their best. That also means you have to bruise them as much as they will bruise you.

Likely teams:

Abramovich’s favourite toy:

Arsenal FC: