Arsenal will be eager to bounce back in the Premier League as they host Leicester City at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday. The Gunners were denied all three points in their previous match against Manchester City, with John Stones’ late equaliser forcing a 2-2 draw.
Mikel Arteta’s side sit two points behind Man City at the top, having collected 11 points from their opening five matches.
A win against Leicester would help close that gap. Given the Foxes’ newly promoted status, many, including Paul Merson, expect an Arsenal victory.
Merson predicts a 3-0 win for the Gunners, arguing that Arsenal’s primary focus should be tightening up their defence.
“I’m backing Arsenal to get a comfortable win here against Leicester,” wrote Merson in his column for Sportskeeda.
“Some Leicester fans wanted to come to the top flight and be in the top half of the table, that just makes me laugh. They’re in big trouble and so is Steve Cooper.
“From now until the end of the season, Arsenal should not let in more than one goal in any football match, that should be their aim.
“They’re always going to score goals, that’s not an issue. If they keep it tight at the back, they have a chance of winning something.”
The former Arsenal man believes this could be a pivotal season for the club if they maintain defensive solidity, but he cautions that Manchester City still hold the edge in the title race, even with Rodri’s injury.
“I still don’t believe Arsenal are favorites for the title now after the injury to Rodri. You look at the substitutes that Manchester City have, and look at the size of that squad compared to Arsenal,” Merson pointed out.
Ahead of the Leicester match, Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard will be available for selection after serving a suspension.
He could feature alongside Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, and Kai Havertz in attack. Trossard missed the EFL Cup clash against Bolton after receiving a red card in the draw against City.
Arsenal, who played well before Trossard’s sending-off, might field a similar lineup against Leicester, hoping to capitalise on the opportunity to take all three points.