Former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola believes the Europa League knockout rounds will derail Arsenal in their quest for the Premier League title.
The Gunners secured another victory on the road, beating Leicester City 1-0 on Saturday. The visitors dominated the proceedings right from the get-go, but a combination of resilient defending from the Foxes and VAR kept the game goalless in the first half.
It did not take long for Arsenal to break the deadlock after half-time as Gabriel Martinelli scored a sumptuous goal after just a minute in the second half. Although Leicester had a late flourish, Mikel Arteta’s team never looked threatened and secured a comfortable win.
Manchester City were also in action on Saturday. They continued their pursuit of the north Londoners with an impressive 4-1 win against Bournemouth.
The Gunners will take on Sporting Lisbon in the Europa League Round of 16. Guardiola feels the fixture congestion due to Europa League will take on toll on Arsenal’s current form. While speaking to BBC, the Spaniard said:
“Many games, still many things are going to happen. I know how good they are, I know we cannot drop points, but now they are starting to play Europa League as well.
“Many things are going to happen. They are going to drop points. We are going to drop points. The team who drop less points will be champions.”
Arsenal Fever View:
The Gunners have always struggled during the latter stages of the season due to their lack of squad depth in the past. With the signing of Leandro Trossard and Jorginho in the winter transfer window, they have reinforced the squad this year.
The duo has already made significant contributions to the club. While Jorginho scored an outstanding goal at Villa Park last week, Trossard’s intricate pass put Martinelli through on goal against the Foxes.
With the games coming thick and fast, it is vital that Arteta rotates the squad for Europa League games. They have a slender two-point lead at the summit of the Premier League table with a game in hand. The last thing Arteta would want is deploying the same set of players every week and burning them out.
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