Arsenal looking fro derby confidence boost

Arsenal beaten Chelsea in over two years, is winless against manager Jose Mourinho and is virtually out of contention for the Premier League title this season.

What's the Gunners are without their captain and talisman, Thierry Henry.

Yet Arsene Wenger's side believes it can overturn the odds when it faces Chelsea at Stamford Bridge today.

Some Arsenal's biggest league wins this season have come without Henry, who is expected to be sidelined into the new year with a lower back problem.

Without Henry, Arsenal beat Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford in September -- the league leader's only defeat so far this season -- and downed north London rival Tottenham 3-0 last Saturday.

"Thierry is very important to us because he's the skipper," said Brazil midfielder Gilberto, who is serving as Arsenal captain in Henry's absence. "But we are doing our best and have shown that we can play without him."

Arsenal beat Chelsea in February 2004 -- at Stamford Bridge. But the Gunners haven't beaten the Blues since Mourinho became manager in June 2004. Since then, there have been three draws and four Chelsea wins, including three last season.

Chelsea second in the table with 35 points, and Arsenal third with 25. Manchester United leads with 41 points and played host to Manchester City yesterday.

For Arsenal, a win would help the Gunners stay in third place. Only one point separates them from ninth place -- Portsmouth, Liverpool and Reading are tied with Arsenal on points but the Gunners lead on goal difference. Everton, Aston Villa and Bolton have 24 points.

The often spiky relationship between Wenger and Mourinho is one of the reasons the London derby has grown in importance over the last few years. Adding to the mix is defender Ashley Cole's acrimonious transfer this summer from Arsenal to Chelsea.

William Gallas moved from Chelsea to Arsenal as part of the deal.

Cole expected to receive a hostile reception from Arsenal fans today.

Wenger defender Johan Djourou to play after he recovered from a hamstring injury, but will be without suspended center back Kolo Toure and midfielder Tomas Rosicky [muscle tear].

"One of the keys for success on Sunday will be how well the center backs do," Wenger said.

Chelsea lost at home this season -- winning six and drawing one. Arsenal's inconsistent away form is a big reason why the Gunners are essentially out of the title race already. They have lost four and won three away games, compared with Chelsea's away record of five wins, one draw and two losses.

Mourinho he would quit if anyone interfered in his team selection, refuting suggestions that he has been forced to play Andriy Shevchenko because of the Ukraine striker's friendship with Russian owner Roman Abramovich.

Shevchenko scored three league goals, one League Cup goal and one Champions League goal in 19 matches for Chelsea since moving from AC Milan in the summer.

"For sure, I would walk if Abramovich told me to pick a player," Mourinho said. "Sheva is not untouchable. The good thing is that he is not happy with the way he is performing."

Wenger long been a fan of Shevchenko and says he's the reason Didier Drogba has scored 14 goals for Chelsea this season.

"Drogba was always a great player but even more since he played with Shevchenko," Wenger said. "He has more support, more deflections. He gets more deflected balls and someone makes the runs for him and he takes advantage of that."

But Shevchenko doesn't make Mourinho's list of so-called "untouchable" players -- midfielders Claude Makelele, Michael Essien, Frank Lampard and Michael Ballack, defenders John Terry, Ricardo Carvalho, Cole and Drogba.