Arsenal handed huge triple fitness boost for Leicester

Arsenal saw off Leeds United comfortably on Tuesday night as goals from Calum Chambers and Eddie Nketiah secured a 2-0 win that booked their spot in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

While the first half may not have been the prettiest of affairs with the visitors forcing Bernd Leno into a couple of decent saves, after the break a much improved display from Mikel Arteta’s side saw off a mediocre Leeds.

One of the standout performers from that opening 45 minutes was Benjamin White, who was following on from another fine display in the 3-1 win over Aston Villa. At ease on the ball, he brought a calmness and leadership to the team through example. He does love a ball carry.

Having picked up a knock in the first half, he then went down less than ten minutes after the restart, causing panic to those watching on. His replacement, Calum Chambers, scored with his first touch, although fears of an injury that would rule him out of the Premier League clash with Leicester emerged.

Arsenal handed huge triple fitness boost for Leicester as Benjamin White, Kieran Tierney and Martin Odegaard could all be available for Arteta

However, speaking after the game, Arteta allayed those worries and insisted his withdrawal was down to illness, the same problem that ruled Pablo Mari out of action.

The news comes as a huge relief just as White had been starting to find his feet in north London, with the focus then turned to two other absentees on the night: Kieran Tierney and Martin Odegaard.

Tierney missed the Villa win with a bruised ankle and the manager provided an update on the left-back, stating that he’s hopeful both he and Odegaard will be available to take on the Foxes.

"“[Tierney and Odegaard] tried yesterday but didn’t feel great,” Arteta said, as quoted by James Benge. “Hopefully in the next few days they can feel better and be available against Leicester”."

It was also confirmed that the Norwegian was due to start with Mari, two absences that prompted Emile Smith Rowe and White’s inclusions. While not ideal, the pair got through unscathed, at least in terms of injury, as the Gunners extended their unbeaten run to eight matches in all competitions.

Coming up first once again on the Premier League fixture list, a win over Brendan Rodgers’ side could see Arsenal climb into fifth in the table (fourth if they win by nine goals) in what will be the penultimate match before the next international break.

The draw for the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup is, for some odd reason, not taking place until Saturday, just before the trip to the King Power Stadium.