Liverpool’s defeat to Leicester City on Tuesday evening has given Arsenal a boost ahead of a crucial part of the season after a glaring weakness was revealed.
Ademola Lookman scored the winner for the Foxes in the second half after Trent Alexander-Arnold had lost focus defensively.
The defeat for Liverpool now means that the Gunners only sit six points below the reds, and are currently in a great position to further close that gap.
And when the two sides next meet at the Emirates stadium, Mikel Arteta can utilise Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka to create huge problems for Jurgen Klopp’s side.
The reds recorded their first defeat in December for five years after the 1-0 defeat to Leicester.
Despite the scoreline being very narrow, there was an obvious weakness in the Liverpool team, which Leicester were able to exploit.
Alexander-Arnold and Kostas Tsimikas were constantly left exposed at full-back, and had often lost focus throughout the match, leading to Leicester benefiting the most in the wide areas.
In recent weeks, Arsenal’s greatest strength has been the threat from the wing positions, as Saka and Martinelli have adopted an inside forward role that has elevated the attacking phase of play of Arteta's side.
Saka has arguably been Arsenal’s best player recently, which has been proven with the opposition’s tactics to double mark the 20-year-old. He has been causing havoc on the right-hand side, being able to cut on his left or still use his very strong right foot.
Meanwhile, Martinelli has been able to mirror the performances of the Englishman on the opposite wing, which has created a devastating threat on either side of the pitch.
The youngsters have been pivotal to Arsenal’s current four-game unbeaten streak in the Premier League, with the Gunners currently sitting comfortably in fourth place.
Arsenal are set to play against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semi-final over a two-legged tie in January, and the presence of Saka and Martinelli could be the determining factor that separates the two sides.
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