Source: Daily_Mail
The Friday Five: Arsenal v Chelsea clashes
[LNB]London big guns Chelsea and Arsenal meet for the 173rd time this Sunday, and tensions will be running high as fans and players prepare for another intense battle at Stamford Bridge. Last season's Barclays Premier League champions Chelsea may be feeling confident against a team who have not won the title in six years, but meetings between these two are known for their surprises. We look back at five recent classic clashes between the heavyweight rivals.[LNB] ...................................................................................................................................................[LNB]Chelsea 3 Arsenal 1 (February 1998) A new broom: Player-manager Gianluca Vialli gave Chelsea their first cup win over Arsenal for 85 years[LNB]Chelsea boss Ruud Gullit had just been replaced by Gianluca Vialli, who promptly made history by beating Arsenal in a Cup match for the first time in 85 years. There were nine bookings in this tempestuous tie and Patrick Vieira was sent off for fouling Graeme Le Saux. Goals from Mark Hughes, Roberto Di Matteo and Dan Petrescu tore through Arsenal's defence, although Dennis Bergkamp netted a consolation penalty after a Michael Duberry handball. Chelsea went through 4-2 on aggregate.[LNB] Kept the match ball: Kanu celebrates his hat-trick against Chelsea in 1999 [LNB]Chelsea 2 Arsenal 3 (October 1999) Nwanko Kanu produced the ultimate rapid-fire hat-trick to keep Arsenalin the running for the title. The Gunners were trailing ManchesterUnited in the table and were 2-0 down to Chelsea with 15 minutesremaining, thanks to goals from Dan Petrescu and Tore Andre Flo. ThenKanu steamed in to score, levelled eight minutes later andthen bypassed goalkeeper Ed de Gooey to curl in the winner on 90minutes.[LNB]Arsenal 2 Chelsea 0 (May 2002) Arsenallegend Roy Parlour's incredible long-range goal set up the club's thirddomestic double, which came four days later when they beat ManchesterUnited 1-0 at Old Trafford. Parlour's fellow midfielder FreddieLjungberg sealed the Cup triumph with a beautiful shot past goalkeeperCarlo Cudicini after 80 minutes. Arsene Wenger's win over ClaudioRanieri's Chelsea squad banished the memory of Arsenal's defeat in thefinal a year earlier at the hands of Liverpool.[LNB] Arsenal 1 Chelsea 2 (April 2004) Wayne Bridge's last-minute strike gave Chelsea the win they had been waiting for all season as they sent Arsenal's 'Invincibles' crashing outof the Champions League. Arsenal had beaten the Blues four times that season and were leading after the first half through Jose Antonio Reyes,but Frank Lampard equalised after the break. The game was finally Chelsea's when Eidur Gudjohnson helped Bridge to an 87th-minute winner, leaving manager Claudio Ranieri weeping with joy.[LNB] Shock: Wayne Bridge scores winning goal as Chelsea defeat Arsenal's 'Invincibles' [LNB]Chelsea 2 Arsenal 1 (February 2007) Three men were sent off when a mass brawl broke out at the end of this match, after two goals for Chelsea from Didier Drogba had cancelled out Theo Walcott's opener. When Arsenal's Kolo Toure squared up to John Obi Mikel for tugging his shirt, Emmanuel Adebayor weighed in on Toure's side. The fight spread across the pitch, and managers Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger rushed on to separate their warring players.[LNB] ARSENAL FC
