Arsenal and Leicester City are scheduled to lock horns at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday in the Premier League and there is no denying that the fixture promises to be an intriguing one at the onset.
Both the teams have collected 9 points from their 5 league games so far this campaign and having won their respective group stages game in the Europa League earlier this week, they will strive to keep their momentum going.
Here are three key battles to look out for when Arsenal take on Leicester City at the weekend.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang vs. Timothy Castagne
After a goal-drought of six outings across all competitions, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang finally found the back of the net against Rapid Wien and the Arsenal skipper has to score goals regularly to help his side challenge for a top-four spot.
Arteta is all but sure to accommodate the Gabonese attacker on the left-wing against Rodgers’ entourage at the weekend and he is expected to go head-to-head against Leicester City right-back Timothy Castagne who mustered a strong performance against Zorya Luhansk.
Castagne, who already has a goal and a couple of assists to his name following his move to the King Power Stadium earlier this summer, has found his feet in his new club with remarkable ease but facing Aubameyang will definitely be a stern test of his resilience.
Dani Ceballos vs. Nampalys Mendy
Dani Ceballos, who has merely an assist to his name after 5 league appearances, has clearly not been at his best so far this campaign for the Gunners and he will be desperate to change that when he faces the Foxes.
The Spaniard is a clever operator of the ball and has the ability to hurt the opposition with his creative prowess and vision. However, Leicester City midfielder Nampalys Mendy will be at his throat during the upcoming fixture.
Mendy, with his commendable positioning sense and no-nonsense tackling skills, will be deployed by Rodgers as a deep-lying midfielder and if he manages to keep Ceballos at bay, Arsenal could be in real trouble.
Hector Bellerin vs. Harvey Barnes
Arsenal right-back Hector Bellerin has blown hot and cold in the recent games but his confidence must have been boosted by the assist which he bagged against Rapid Wien in the Europa League fixture yesterday after coming off the bench.
From his recent displays, it has been evident that Bellerin has been all over the place defensively on a number of occasions and he could be exploited by Harvey Barnes who has been one of the key figures for Rodgers’ clan down the left-flank.
Barnes has garnered 1 goal and 1 assist from 5 appearances in the English top-flight and had also smashed a goal in the midweek Europa League fixture. Along with James Justin, he generally churns a resounding partnership and it will be difficult for Bellerin to keep his at bay.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored
