Title challengers Arsenal will welcome Leicester City to the Emirates Stadium this weekend.
The Gunners are the heavy favourites, and the Foxes will need a top-class performance if they want to leave London with points. Here are two key clashes to watch out for during the game.
Bukayo Saka vs Victor Kristiansen
Arsenal’s star boy, Saka, has established himself as one of the best right-wingers in the world. The England international recorded 25 goal contributions last season and has started this campaign strongly, with one goal and five assists. The youngster is an excellent dribbler and looks to isolate himself on the right flank to create one-on-one matchups with the opposition fullback.
The Foxes have struggled defensively in wide areas this season. A major factor lies with the three-at-the-back formation they build up with. While it allows more players to attack in possession, it is vulnerable to counterattacks. With Kristiansen an attack-oriented fullback, Saka is bound to have a go at him throughout the game. The Dane must be smart with his positioning and on top of his game defensively if he wants to keep Saka quiet.
Jamie Vardy vs William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes
Despite being 37 years old, Vardy will be Leicester’s focal point of attack. The Foxes legend has a rich scoring history against the Gunners and scored the winner four years ago in Leicester’s last victory at the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal are likely to dictate play with a high line, leaving plenty of space behind for Vardy to run behind. Teams have been aware of his trait for a long time, but the Leicester number nine has managed to continue scoring goals in this fashion.
Saliba and Gabriel are one of the top centre-back pairings in the Premier League. While they will be difficult to get past, Vardy is known for his brilliant movement in the box. Since Arsenal also build up with a three-man defence, Vardy’s movement could open space for Stephy Mavididi and Jordan Ayew to exploit.
