'Talented players' - Rosenior offers Chelsea verdict on Arsenal's two goalscoring threats

Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior has highlighted Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze as the primary threats among Arsenal’s “talented players” ahead of the clubs’ next meeting, acknowledging that the Gunners’ attacking depth will test his side despite Chelsea’s own firepower.

Arsenal enter the contest leading the Premier League in goals with 56, level with Manchester City, and their scoring burden has been shared across the squad. Yet it is Gyokeres and Eze who top the internal charts: the Swedish striker has 10 league goals and the English attacker six, including two each in the recent 4-0 derby demolition of Tottenham Hotspur. Gyokeres further underlined his danger by netting against Chelsea in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-finals.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Rosenior—who has tracked both players for years—refused to downplay their influence.

“I worked with Viktor. I worked with him with Brighton’s Under-23s,” he revealed. “Viktor adds a degree of physicality and pace to stretch the game and behind. I think he has started to build his confidence. He has shown he can score goals, which is what every striker wants to do.

“I have come across Eze many times. I remember watching him in the Championship and thinking what an outstanding talent he is.”

The Chelsea boss was quick to add that Arsenal’s menace extends beyond the pair, noting Mikel Arteta’s side possess “physicality throughout their team” and stressing that “they also know it is going to be a very difficult game for them.”

Rosenior’s confidence is rooted partly in Chelsea’s own attacking numbers. The Blues have struck 48 times in the league—joint-third behind Arsenal and City—and arrive with momentum thanks to Joao Pedro’s six goals and one assist in his last seven appearances across all competitions. Cole Palmer has also been instrumental, giving Chelsea multiple avenues to hurt opponents.

With both squads brimming with goal threats, Sunday’s encounter at the Emirates is shaping up as a showdown between two of the division’s most prolific attacks, and Rosenior accepts that shutting down Gyokeres and Eze will be only part of the puzzle.