How The AFCON Is Going To Affect Arsenal, Chelsea And Manchester City

The African Cup Of Nations (AFCON) is a highly anticipated tournament in African Football scheduled to kick-off on January 21. It is interesting to see how this tournament will affect three of the top clubs in the Premier League.

Arsenal FC

Without: Gervinho, Marouane Chamakh

Gervinho has made a mark for himself already in his first season at the Emirates. He and Van Persie made a deadly duo for Arsenal. It's an interesting fact that so far Gervinho has been successful in all the tackles he has attempted! That is noteworthy, and it proves that when he tracks back, he is highly competent.

Chamakh too has made 14 starts for Arsenal this season. He has scored one goal and has made an assist. He is a menace in the air thanks to his height and strength. He is also proficient with the ball at his feet and likes to bring his team-mates into the game. This combination of strength and technique makes him an ideal player for Arsenal.

The absence of these two players is going to be a huge blow for Arsenal. They are going to be without a quality striker in their lineup as Chamakh provides depth in their squad. Gervinho has been an integral part of their squad for a while now. He has been one of the best attacking wingers in the Premier League this season.

Thierry Henry’s acquisition could solve the problem of Chamakh not being there, but Gervinho’s absence however will definitely be felt.

Chelsea FC

Without: Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou

Drogba still remains an influential person in the team and has managed to hit the back of the net 6 times this season. This however, is still far from his best. His departure to serve his national side will result in Chelsea being without the service of an important man.

But this will prove to be a blessing in disguise for their £50 million man. It will get Fernando Torres to start more games and find his rhythm. He has looked good in the last couple of matches when he started. Not the best, not the most confident, but definetely better. 

In the match against Wolves, he began with nice through balls to Juan Mata and Frank Lampard which almost saw the two score. This was followed by a promising run in the second half saw him set up a one-on-one and a pass to Ashley Cole set up Lampard’s winner to cap off his performance.

In the match against Aston Villa he immediately rattled the cross bar after coming on. He needs more time on the field to get into rhythm and Drogba’s departure to AFCON might be the way.

Chelsea will also be without Salomon Kalou. The Ivory Coast international has blazing pace and a willingness to run at players and take them on. Kalou is a perfect player for counterattacking football but has only started 8 times this season. He is currently under transfer negotiations with the club and is unwilling to renew his contract unless he gets more starts. His departure to the AFCON is hardly going to be of any substantial consequence to the club.

Manchester City

Without: Yaya Toure, Kolo Toure

This shows how valuable the two brothers are for Manchester City. After the thrashing of Liverpool, Mancini said, "I have tried to find another Yaya in my squad, but there isn’t another Yaya."

Yaya mingles strength and skill. He rampages through the middle, and put his height to good use. He has a knack of scoring important goals and controls the midfield with his power.

Kolo Toure is a top class defender who has a good understanding of the game. He connects well with the midfielders and beats strikers in the air prolifically. He hasn’t got the run of games he should because of Joleon Lescott’s good form but when he plays, he delivers.

The two brothers are important for Manchester City. But because of the depth in their squad, they are not irreplaceable and won’t leave the Sky Blues in a fix. However, their absence will be felt at the Eithad.