Brendan Rodgers saluted “game changers” Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko ahead of Leicester’s Premier League clash with leaders Arsenal.
The Gunners are two points clear at the summit with a game in hand on second-place Manchester City heading into their final 15 matches of the campaign.
Their quest for a first domestic title in 19 years has been boosted by the performances of former Manchester City duo Jesus and Zinchenko, who arrived at the Emirates Stadium in pre-season.
Jesus scored twice and provided two assists in Arsenal’s 4-2 win over Leicester in August, though the Brazil international will miss the return fixture at the King Power Stadium on Saturday as he continues his recovery from a knee injury.
Meanwhile, the versatile Zinchenko has played 20 times under Mikel Arteta this term, and Rodgers praised the impact of both players.
💪 Putting in that prep for Leicester
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) February 23, 2023
📍 Arsenal Training Centre pic.twitter.com/c1nWbL2RZQ
“I think [Arsenal have] had a fantastic season up until now,” the Foxes head coach said. “I think that you sensed right at the very beginning of the season when we played [them], they’d signed the two players that were a game changer for them in terms of mentality.
“When you’ve got the likes of Kieran Tierney on the bench – who’s an outstanding player – because of Zinchenko playing, then it really shows you the quality of the squad that they have.
“But I think Zinchenko and Jesus coming in really will have helped, and given [them] that mindset. [William] Saliba coming in at the back and obviously the other players then improve, and so I think that they played very well on that day.
“Whenever we got close to them, we made mistakes, which gave them a cushion in the game. But you could see in that early part of the season that there was a good feeling around the place and that’s continued through the season.
“I think Mikel [Arteta] has done a fantastic job with them, and, okay, still a long way to go – 15 games to go – but they’ve had a very, very good season so far.”