Liam Grace
Published November 26, 2025 10:21am
Updated November 26, 2025 10:53am
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Chelsea have an extra recovery day over Arsenal ahead of Sunday’s showdown (Picture: Getty)
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has instructed his players to ‘completely switch off’ for 48 hours ahead of the clash with Arsenal.
The Blues defeated Barcelona 3-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday and are back in action on Sunday when they host Mikel Arteta’s side.
Chelsea are second in the Premier League table heading into the showdown at Stamford Bridge, six points behind leaders Arsenal.
Arsenal have less time to rest for the Chelsea game with the north London side in Champions League action on Wednesday against Bayern Munich.
Chelsea boss Maresca wants his squad to use the extra recovery day to their full advantage before they lock horns with Arsenal this weekend.
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‘I’ve told the players, next 48 hours, completely switch off,’ the Italian said. ‘Have a rest. Recover the energy.
‘Because [on] Sunday we have Arsenal. My message after the game was just: recover the energy. That, in this moment, is the most important thing.
Arsenal smashed Tottenham 4-1 in their last Premier League match (Picture: Getty)
‘Then, on Friday, we start to think about Arsenal. We need to keep the momentum because it’s very nice – and it’s much easier to recover energy when you win games.’
Football pundit Gary Neville says Chelsea face ‘a real tough test’ against Arsenal – and has played down talk of the Blues being title challengers.
‘[The game against Arsenal] will be really interesting for Chelsea and a good measure for them,’ Neville said.
Chelsea defeated Barcelona 3-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday (Picture: Getty)
‘[Chelsea will] tease us and have us thinking are they the closest [title] challengers but I don’t think that will emerge as the season goes on.
‘But [the Arsenal game] is a real tough test and that’s where you find out about these types of teams.’
Meanwhile, Craig Burley says a ‘much better version’ of the Chelsea team that beat Barcelona will be needed to defeat Arsenal on Sunday.
‘Believe it or not but a much better version of Chelsea will need to turn up,’ ex-Blues midfielder Burley told ESPN. ‘They will have to up their game from what we saw tonight to face Arsenal.
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‘Arsenal are not going to play like Barcelona did tonight. In some sense that’s the acid test for Chelsea rather than the Barcelona game.’
When Chelsea last hosted Arsenal at Stamford Bridge, just over 12 months ago, the match ended in a 1-1 draw.
But Arsenal won the most recent meeting between the two sides 1-0 at the Emirates in March.
Arsenal smashed Tottenham 4-1 in their last Premier League game while Chelsea won 2-0 away at Burnley.
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