Arsenal will be looking to consolidate their handy position in fourth spot on the English Premier League log when they host Leicester City on Sunday.
The Gunners have been unbeaten in the league ever since the 2-1 loss to Manchester City on New Year’s day, and have moved swiftly into a Champions League qualifying berth.
Manchester United are just one log point behind in fifth place, but by comparison, Arsenal have played three games less than the Red Devils. The fact of the matter is that Mikel Arteta’s team even have two games in hand over embattled Chelsea, and trail the Blues by just eight points.
It’s a good indication of just how Arsenal remain firmly in control of their own destiny as they now welcome 12th-placed Leicester to the Emirates Stadium.
The last time the two teams met, Arteta’s side won 2-0 with an early blitz in the away game, but Leicester do boast a major attacking threat, and they’ve already beaten Manchester United and Liverpool this season.
Emile Smith Rowe will reportedly return to the Arsenal squad for Sunday’s clash after overcoming illness, but the big injury news ahead of this game is the fact that Leicester superstar Jamie Vardy has been ruled out with a knee injury.
“[Vardy] unfortunately got injured in the last game so is going to be out for a few weeks,” confirmed manager Brendan Rodgers, who will have alternative options such as Kelechi Iheanacho and Patson Daka.
Wesley Fofana could reportedly also be available, while James Maddison, James Justin, and Ricardo Pereira are all in contention for the Arsenal game.
This is potentially a ‘banana peel’ fixture for Arsenal, but there is no denying that they are ideally placed in the race to qualify for the Champions League after eight wins from their last 10 League matches, and the squad appears to be in a very good space.