Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for free Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter
Per Mertesacker returns for Arsenal in their League Cup third round tie at Tottenham tonight, as manager Arsene Wenger says he will pick an "experienced squad".
However, the Gunners manager has revealed that midfielder Francis Coquelin is sidelined with a knee injury.
"Francis Coquelin will be out and we have no major problems for anybody else. It should be a similar squad," Wenger told arsenal.com
"[Coquelin's] knee is swollen and he is being assessed but we hope it is just a short-term problem."
Per Mertesacker has been out of contention with a virus since mid-August (Getty Images) Wenger usually sees the League Cup as a way of using his emerging young players, but the Frenchman has said that he will be playing an "experienced squad" at White Hart Lane, with only "one or two" youngsters, one of which is expected to be Alex Iwobi, the 19-year-old striker who is the nephew of former Bolton great Jay-Jay Okocha.
Show all 22 1 /22Chelsea 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Chelsea 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Thibaut Courtois An initially innocuous challenge from Alexis Sanchez cut his afternoon short. 5
Getty Images
Chelsea 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Branislav Ivanovic With his menacing gallops up field, Chelsea’s reliable right-back delivered a predictably assured display. Whenever Mesut Ozil drifted onto the flank, the German was second best. 7
Getty Images
Chelsea 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Gary Cahill Launching into a wild tackle on Alexis Sanchez, Gary Cahill’s actions led to unsavoury scenes on the touchline. With his manager squabbling with Arsene Wenger for much of the tie as a result, the England centre-back delivered a decent shift. 7
Getty Images
Chelsea 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings John Terry Stood firm in a typically combative manner. Dealt with the threats of Danny Welbeck and Alexis Sanchez with relative ease for large periods. 7
Getty Images
Chelsea 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Cesar Azpilicueta Predominantly tasked with dealing with either Santi Cazorla or Mesut Ozil, with the pair swapping positions often, the Spanish defender was up to the task. 7
Getty Images
Chelsea 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Nemanja Matic Providing the steel to the support Cesc Fabregas’s silky play, the Serb proved once again why Jose Mourinho re-signed him in January. A commanding day’s work. 7
Getty Images
Chelsea 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Cesc Fabregas Played in Eden Hazard to win a penalty in the first half after a superb run through a labyrinth of red shirts. Was booed regularly by a small section of Gunners fans but responded in the best way possible. 7
Getty Images
Chelsea 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Andre Schurrle Substituted in the 68th minute, after a lively display, the German midfielder didn’t stop running. Lacking a precision to his passing which could have put Chelsea into commanding positions, however, he may believe he could have done more. 6
Getty Images
Chelsea 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Oscar Put in a defensive shift when called upon while providing his usual mix of flair and composure up front. 6
Getty Images
Chelsea 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Eden Hazard After expertly ‘winning’ the penalty which gave Chelsea a springboard of which to build upon, the Belgian was a constant threat who Arsenal struggled to contend with. 7
Getty Images
Chelsea 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Diego Costa Got on the score sheet again with a delightful chip over Wojciech Szczesny’s head, but may be remembered for an extraordinary miss from four yards in the latter stages. An otherwise impressive display. 7
Getty Images
Chelsea 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Wojciech Szczesny Had little to do before he had to pick the ball out of his own net after Hazard’s penalty. Still looked nervy when given time, and left himself exposed to Costa’s chip when he chose to come out, though there was little else he could do. 6
Getty Images
Chelsea 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Calum Chambers Struggled to deal with the pace of Chelsea’s counter-attack and picked up a booking when he brought down Hazard. Could’ve been sent-off when he tackled Schurrle on the edge of the box. 5
Getty Images
Chelsea 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Per Mertesacker Tried to boss the defence lie usual, but couldn’t cope with the pace of Costa when the striker was allowed to run at him, such as the second goal demonstrated. 6
Getty Images
Chelsea 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Laurent Koscielny Dived in on Hazard to give away the penalty but the Belgian should’ve been stopped a long time before he got there. Appears to have lost the reliability he and Mertesacker built last season. 5
Getty Images
Chelsea 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Kieran Gibbs Offered Arsenal an out on the left flank and combined well with Sanchez. Looked much more exposed when Özil played in front of him, but probably Arsenal’s best defender on the day. 6
Getty Images
Chelsea 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Mathieu Flamini Brought control to the midfield and played quite well without being spectacular. Put in a few hard tackles in the first half, but he certainly isn’t the answer to Arsenal’s problems at defensive midfield. 6
Getty Images
Chelsea 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Mesut Ozil How he managed to last the 90 minutes is anyone’s guess. Looked off the pace and was poor throughout, his touch to knock the ball straight out on the hour mark summed up his performance. 4
Getty Images
Chelsea 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Jack Wilshere Had a brilliant chance to level the score after half-an-hour but his heavy touch allowed Cech to rush out and gather the ball. Showed two lovely runs in the second half, but left when the game was over. 7
Getty Images
Chelsea 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Santi Cazorla Went close for Arsenal when he shot first time from the edge of the box, only to see it go narrowly wide of the right-hand post. Was far from impressed at being subbed off. 6
Getty Images
Chelsea 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Alexis Sanchez A constant threat down the left wing and posed a number of problems to Ivanovic. Wenger is still yet to work out where he can get the best out of Sanchez though. Terrific in tracking back, and lucky not to get hurt from Cahill’s challenge. 7
Getty Images
Chelsea 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Danny Welbeck Appeared a lonely figure up front at times, and when he needed to put in a big performance he ultimately failed. Still, showed some classy touches, especially when he floated left towards Sanchez. 6
Getty Images
"[Iwobi] is in and out a little bit because we travel a lot. He is doing well," Wenger said.
"I want to keep the squad together. We go game by game so I will make changes, for sure. How many? I’ve not decided yet. It will be quite an experienced squad with one or two younger players."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies