Arsenal vs Leicester: 3 important players for crucial clash

This young Arsenal team has done exceptionally well to build momentum in the second half of the season. Seasoned professionals and impressive youngsters alike have raised their level.

This improvement has also come at the right time. With no cup competitions and faltering rivals all around them, the objective in front of Arsenal is clear: get top four. For the first time in years, this goal seems attainable.

We must not, however, get ahead of ourselves. We have to take the season one game at a time, something Arteta will be drilling this into the squad.

The Spaniard places a great deal of importance on mentality and he will not miss any opportunity to keep his team grounded. That being said, the next game on the horizon is against Leicester City. The Foxes have struggled at times this season and have looked far off the pace they set last year.

Arsenal vs Leicester: 3 important players for crucial clash that will have implications on the Gunners’ hunt for the Premier League top four

They are still a formidable team and can beat anyone on their day. Although Leicester sit in 12th in the Premier League, Arsenal can not afford to take them lightly. They’re on a run of four straight wins in all competitions and have avoided defeat in their previous two visits to the Emirates Stadium.

Victory for Arsenal would see them tighten their grip on the top four, though, with confidence and points vital as they prepare to host Liverpool but three days later at the same stadium.

Here are three important players for Arsenal’s crucial clash against Leicester.

1. Martin Odegaard

Since Mesut Ozil first started declining, everyone at the club knew he would have to be replaced. The conundrum, then, was how do you replace a player who, despite his limitations, had unparalleled vision and technique and was unplayable at his prime? Years later, the answer has been found.

Martin Odegaard has impressed critics and fans alike. The control he exerts over midfield has been crucial to Arsenal retaining possession when needed, before turning the screw and exploding into the final third. Leicester have shown frailties at the back this season and Odegaard is the perfect player to exploit them.

His intelligence allows him to make connections and triangles with anyone on the pitch. He finds their runs with perfectly timed passes. The weight of everything he does is superb. Any lapse in concentration or a delay in closing the ball down will be punished by the Norwegian.

His runs into the box are a growing feature of his game. Like his passing, if his runs are not tracked, he will glide into the box before finishing acutely. That killer instinct is something Arteta called for from his team, and the 23-year-old is obliging.

With the form Odegaard is in, Leicester will have a tough time keeping him quiet.

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2. Thomas Partey

Further back in the midfield is Arsenal’s star signing from a couple of years ago, and after a couple of years, he’s finally finding his level.

Since the game against Manchester City where the Gunners fell to a 2-1 defeat, Partey has hit the levels expected of him when he made his move from Atletico Madrid.

Playing the single pivot role to perfection, he has excelled in receiving the ball from the back four. He has shown his impressive passing range, getting the ball quickly to the front players, and with the options either side of him he bring a newfound balance to Arsenal’s attacking patterns. The left side bias is a thing of the past.

On Sunday his press-resistance will be incredibly important, as will his defensive awareness. Leicester City’s midfield is one that is dynamic, mobile and that excels in getting forward and interchanging quickly.

Man City’s midfield, albeit at another level completely, had similar qualities and difficulties. Partey held them at arm’s length and he will have to do the same against Leicester.

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3. Gabriel/Benjamin White

Two for the price of one.

Arsenal fans have reveled in the solidity their defensive players have brought to the team: Ramsdale is exceptional, with a winning mentality to boot, Tomiyasu provides defensive cover and strength in build up, going about his work a bit quieter than Ramsdale, and while Tierney has not been his usual swashbuckling self but this may be due to tactical instruction.

The most noticeable improvement, however, has been in the center of the defense.

Not too long ago, Arsenal were lining up with Sokratis and Mustafi anchoring the back line. Yes, that actually happened. Since those dark days, the defense has improved leaps and bounds. Gabriel and Benjamin White are the archetypal modern center-backs; they are midfielders playing in defence. Aerially imposing, quick on the ground and solid on the ball, the two defenders complement their skill sets and temperaments well.

The Brazilian presses higher, challenging the first ball while White slides in behind and covers the second ball. Gabriel does well to stay compact should White go on one of his effective and eye-catching slaloming runs. Everything just works. Recently, however, the stable foundation of the team has looked less so.

The two matches against Wolves exhibited lapses in concentration and slack passing, while the one against Watford showed more of the same. Leicester City boast one of the better attacks in the league despite their unfavorable league position, and although Jamie Vardy has been ruled out, the likes of Harvey Barnes, Kelechi Iheanacho and Ayoze Perez possess incredible pace, smart off-the-ball movement and finishing ability.

Gabriel and White must rediscover the defensive resilience they showed only a few weeks ago.