How Arsenal's 2011/12 campaign will be remembered may depend heavily on Saturday's game against Chelsea.

Just as the Gunners looked to be in cruise control in securing 3rd place and automatic qualification for next season's Champions League, they ran into a well-drilled Wigan side and fell to their first home defeat against the Lancashire outfit since the inception of the Premier League.

“Bouncebackability”

To use the convoluted Iain Dowie phrase, Arsenal have shown "bouncebackability" in the second half of the season. Much of Arsenal's rise to 3rd place in the table has been down to the positive way they have responded to defeats.

The dispiriting FA Cup elimination at Sunderland was followed up by the unforgettably chimeric demolition of Tottenham. The lethargic 2-1 reverse against QPR was offset by a 1-0 win over Manchester City that flattered the one time champions-elect.

Arsenal will have to repeat the trick for a third time to keep the hordes of Spurs, Newcastle and Chelsea at bay in the race to make next season's Champions League.

Factory Settings Restored

Since showing Andre Villas-Boas the door, Chelsea's recovery has been one to match Arsenal's in recent weeks. After being appointed as caretaker boss, Roberto Di Matteo reportedly called together the club's senior players, and essentially massaged their egos, saying that he needed them to help him save Chelsea's season from disappearing down the plughole.

In the short-term, this gambit has worked brilliantly. It has probably helped that Di Matteo was Villas-Boas's assistant, as he would have seen first-hand how the players were unable (or unwilling) to respond to the Portuguese’s management methods. There was only one thing for it; he restored Chelsea to the pattern of play that was once the best in the country under Jose Mourinho. Like a computer that has downloaded a faulty piece of software, Di Matteo has restored Chelsea's "factory settings", and it has proved a boon for the West Londoners.

Chelsea have recorded nine wins from their past 12 games, reaching the FA Cup Final, and confounding all pundits by beating Barcelona 1-0 at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night.

Form vs Fatigue

It's clear that Chelsea are currently in sparkling form. But the potential worry is while they have been winning a lot of matches, they have come in a short space of time. The clash with Arsenal will be their 13th game in 42 days. They haven't had a 7 day break in between fixtures since February. And while I think the maxim about their "ageing squad" is overstated, it's an arduous workload for any player to handle.

With David Luiz injured, Branislav Ivanovic suspended and John Terry being nursed through the season by injections, their squad is under physical duress, especially their back four. Added to the fact that they have to go to the Camp Nou on Tuesday night to try and defend their one goal lead against Lionel Messi et al, Di Matteo may have to bite the bullet and play a slightly weaker XI than he would like.

The Arteta Shaped Hole

With Mikel Arteta out for the season, there is a hole in Arsenal's midfield that will be difficult to fill. The only fit contenders for this position are Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Aaron Ramsey.

Oxlade-Chamberlain is capable of bringing a zestful thrust to the midfield battle. An exciting dribbler and probing passer, he has thrilled Gooners with his youthful play - more often from wide positions. However, his rawness means that his decision making remains inconsistent, and can often fall prey to impatience when on the ball. If selected, he will come up against an experienced midfield, skilled in keeping players of his type quiet.

While still young, Ramsey has more experience of these kind of games. In the midst of the criticism he has received from fans (some of it vile abuse, which is completely beyond the pale. I'd say these people should be ashamed of themselves, but I doubt they understand the concept of shame), it's been forgotten that he was one of Arsenal's better performers in the early part of the season.

His form has dipped alarmingly since then, but he possesses the talent to have a significant effect on the match. The role he played in Arsenal's first goal in the 5-3 victory at Stamford Bridge being a perfect example.

Personally I think Arsenal should try and take advantage of any potential Chelsea tiredness after the Barcelona win, and look to play with an aggressively frenetic tempo from the first whistle, the kind that typified the superb 3-1 success in the resultant fixture last season. For this reason I would risk playing Oxlade-Chamberlain from the start, but I suspect that Wenger is leaning towards starting Ramsey, as Oxlade-Chamberlain is more likely to able to make a positive impact from the bench than the Welshman.

Possible Line-Ups

ARSENAL - Szczesny; Sagna, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Gibbs; Ramsey, Song, Rosicky; Walcott, Van Persie, Gervinho

CHELSEA - Cech, Bosingwa, Cahill, Terry, Cole; Essien, Lampard; Ramires, Mata, Kalou; Torres

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