Xhaka concern, Tierney problem: Four things spotted in Arsenal training ahead of Leicester match
Following an exciting victory against Aston Villa, Arsenal is now focusing on their upcoming game against Leicester City. The Gunners will visit the King Power Stadium on Saturday afternoon, where they will aim to maintain their position as the Premier League’s top team.
Mikel Arteta’s team is currently two points ahead of Manchester City and has a game in hand. As the two teams are scheduled to play against each other in April, Arsenal will be eager to build momentum and perform well in the upcoming match.
The upcoming match against Leicester City provides Arsenal with a perfect opportunity to capitalize on their recent success, particularly as their opponents have just suffered a 3-0 defeat.j
As a result, arsenalbrief.football has analyzed what caught their attention during Arsenal’s training sessions as Arteta prepares his team for the upcoming game.
Xhaka fitness concern?
Granit Xhaka was seen walking onto the training pitches at London Colney engaged in a conversation with Barry Solan, who holds the title of Strength and Conditioning Coach at Arsenal. Xhaka has played in every single one of Arsenal’s Premier League matches this season, and all but one of their other fixtures, where he was suspended for a Europa League game.
While it is possible that their conversation was casual, the fact that Xhaka and Solan were chatting suggests that Arsenal may have a plan to manage the midfielder’s fitness. This could indicate that the club is taking measures to ensure that Xhaka stays fit and healthy throughout the season, given his important role in the team.
Amario Cozier-Duberry earns his stripes
In addition to Granit Xhaka and Kieran Tierney, young academy player Amario Cozier-Duberry was also spotted in the Arsenal training sessions. He was seen walking to training alongside Reiss Nelson and was later observed participating in a drill behind William Saliba before joining in with the rest of the first-team activities.
Cozier-Duberry is a 17-year-old winger who has performed well for Arsenal in the Premier League 2 this season. With the success of other young players such as Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe, Cozier-Duberry will be hoping to follow in their footsteps and make an impact at the club. His inclusion in the first-team training sessions is a positive sign for his future prospects at the club.
Smith Rowe impresses
Emile Smith Rowe seems to be fully fit and ready for action ahead of his return from injury. The 22-year-old has been included on the bench in recent games for Arsenal but is yet to start a match this season. However, he looked sharp in training, as he was pictured scoring a well-placed driven strike with his weaker left foot.
Glimpse at a potential compatibility issue
Recently, social media has been filled with discussions about whether Gabriel Martinelli and Kieran Tierney can play effectively together on the left side of the field. Although there have only been a few instances to analyze, a video clip has emerged that shows why Arteta prefers Oleksandr Zinchenko instead.
During a small-sided game, Tierney took the ball down the touchline, but in doing so, he seemed to block the space that Martinelli usually occupies, which is high and wide. Consequently, Martinelli adjusted by holding his position and dropping deep. Tierney also stopped his run, turned, and passed back to Martinelli, who then moved in-field.
In contrast, Zinchenko tends to move inward, creating more space on the wing for the forward to operate. Tierney and Martinelli have similar preferred spaces on the field.
Xhaka concern, Tierney problem: Four things spotted in Arsenal training ahead of Leicester match
