Soccer without rivalry is like cheesecake without cheese. Professional rivalries are the driving force in the sporting community. They make competing more fun and enjoyable. However, all of this can come to a screeching halt due to a postponement. I write an article about the rivalry to ease the pain and disappointment.
Club Overview
Before understanding a rivalry like Arsenal vs. Chelsea, we need to take a moment and understand the primary parties involved in the rivalry. This will enable you to understand the rivalry and make sense of the events that led to this rivalry. This opening section is all about that. I will be discussing all about the teams and their history. This would enable us to understand the whole engagement.
First, I will discuss everything about Chelsea FC, and then I will discuss Arsenal FC. Hence, please stick around and let me take you on a journey across time and study more about the archaic and famous Arsenal vs Chelsea rivalry.
Chelsea
The first piece of our puzzle is the Chelsea FC. Chelsea is one of the most prominent English football clubs of all time. However, it started from a humble beginning. The club is primarily based in Fulham, West London.
Gus Mears founded the Chelsea Football Club with a handful of players and some of his business partners. The team gradually grew and went on to become one of the most significant and dominant English teams of all time.
The team plays all of its home matches in the iconic Stamford Bridge. The club won its first-ever title back in 1955. This opened a floodgate, and Chelsea is now lauded as one of the most significant and dominant teams of all time.
Arsenal
The second piece of our puzzle is the Arsenal FC. Arsenal FC, or the Gunners, is one of the biggest and most prominent football teams of all time. Arsenal FC is a North London club based in Holloway.
The ammunition workers of the Royal Arsenal founded the Dial Square Club, which was eventually named Arsenal Football Club. The club has achieved a lot in these 137 years. Arsenal has won 13 league titles, 14 FA Cup titles, 2 League Cups, 17 FA Community Shields, etc.
Arsenal was one of the first football clubs from South England to join the Football League. Therefore, the club is historic in several senses. The club was initially founded as the Dial Square club. Eventually, the club was renamed. Officials decided to pay homage to the origin and renamed the club as Arsenal Football Club. This change marked a new era for the club.
Arsenal vs. Chelsea
What is soccer without some rivalry? I believe that they add flavor and spice to the game. In fact, they age like wine. They become more flavorful with time. One such rivalry is between Arsenal and Chelsea.
The rivalry between Arsenal and Chelsea is one of the oldest rivalries between two professional soccer teams. Historical sources suggest that huge numbers of people often witnessed the matchup between the two teams. Later on, the advent of network television catapulted this number.
As of writing this article, Arsenal seems to be leading the rivalry scorecard. Arsenal and Chelsea have played 208 matches together. Out of these, Arsenal won 82 games, and Chelsea won 66 games. This is a huge deciding factor in the rivalry.
Background Of The Rivalry
Arsenal and Chelsea never considered each other as primary rivals. Yet, fans seem to be convinced otherwise. Fans of the club are constantly at each other’s throats since both teams are two of the biggest teams in the league.
This rivalry between the two teams started back in the 1930s. Liverpool and Arsenal matches used to attract huge crowds. Sources suggest that fans would often resort to verbal abuse and fights. In fact, this laid the primary foundation of decades-long rivalry.
In a recent survey, it was found that the fans of the Chelsea team considered Arsenal to be their third rival. Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspurs took the first two spots. Still, the rivalry between Arsenal and Chelsea is legendary nonetheless.
History Of The Rivalry
The rivalry between Arsenal and Chelsea started back in 1907 when they first met in a Football League First Division match.
65000 people attended this match. Hence, this was one of the most attended matches of that time. This match established the rivalry between the two teams. A rivalry that would change the very fabric of the English soccer community.
After that, the rivals met again in 1935. This meet-up had a total turnover of 82,905. This match took place in Stamford Bridge and was the second-most attended match for an extended period of time.
Arsenal vs. Chelsea: Original Fixture
Any match that involves old rivals Chelsea and Arsenal is definitely going to be an electrifying match to witness. As a result, fans were eagerly waiting to witness something magical and electrifying on March 16 and 17.
Arsenal and Chelsea are part of the big six. Both teams were looking to secure a spot in the playoffs of the Premier League. However, a postponement derailed the whole thing. As a result, the Arsenal vs Chelsea match will not be taking place.
As per sources, other matches involving other teams were postponed as well. Several matches of Matchday 29 were canceled. As a result, the organization will have to come up with a plan of action.
Causes Of Postponement
Several matches of Matchday 29 were canceled due to a minor confusion. The games had to be moved due to the FA Cup quarterfinal. This led to mass cancellation and postponement of matches.
Another reason that resulted in this postponement is the elimination of Arsenal at the hands of Liverpool. This made things more complicated and disappointing for fans of the game. Many fans took to social media in order to express their disappointment over the postponement.
The New Fixture
The Premier League is known for its tactful approach to fixing match schedules. It always factors in schedule conflicts. However, you can only factor in so many details. Therefore, such confusion should be expected. Yet, the organisation has stepped up its game and is looking into rescheduling.
Apart from the conflict, rescheduling this match will be challenging due to availability. For example, Arsenal qualified for the quarterfinal, but the Gunners were eliminated from the league. As a result, rescheduling is going to take a lot of work.
Hence, it is likely long before fans will be able to witness the epic Arsenal and Chelsea rivalry in the flesh. Till then, it will be a long wait.
The Closing Thought
With that, you have reached the end of my article about the Arsenal vs. Chelsea rivalry that persisted more than a century. The rivalry between the two teams is alive, even though the match has been delayed. Therefore, fans should keep hoping to see the rivals back in action. Keep following our page for more sports-related content.
