Arsenal duo Martin Odegaard and Granit Xhaka have been likened to Manchester City stars Kevin de Bruyne and Bernardo Silva during the Gunners' clash against Southampton on Sunday. Mikel Arteta went into the game looking to reclaim a four-point lead over the champions at the top.
The Spaniard has got his side playing at the top of their game at the start of the season, earning nine wins and one loss in ten games in the lead-up to the clash. If they are to make a push for the title, they will have to overcome City, who dropped points last week against Liverpool but responded with a 3-1 victory over Brighton on Saturday.
Arteta has been coy on their chances at the top but admitted squad depth and the schedule could be key to being competitive: "It will depend on a lot of factors. How players are performing, the injuries that you have, what happens in that World Cup - there are a lot of questions there that we don't know the answer to. We are planning to have the right resources, but again it's never happened. We have to hold the experience and try our best to get the right outcome."
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While they haven't got the depth or pedigree of the Manchester City side they could be battling, each win that ticks by is getting them closer to a challenge at the top. There have been plenty of comparisons between the two sides, with Arteta previously being an assistant to Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium.
The latest of which is surrounding his use of creative midfielders, with Jamie Redknapp claiming on Sky Sports: "The positions that Xhaka and Odegaard are picking up have caused so many problems. It's reminiscent of what Pep has done with [Bernardo] Silva and [Kevin] De Bruyne, and it's a tactical situation they've found themselves in. They've been relentless, going forward excellent and a joy to watch."
The Arsenal duo have been a more present factor in the attacking third, with Xhaka, in particular, bringing balance by impacting the attack on the left while Odegaard often filters on the right. The Swiss international has been in line for plenty of praise since the switch was made by Arteta to play him further forward, putting out his best-attacking numbers in his career - the latest being another goal against Southampton.
It remains to be seen if the pair can keep up their exploits at the top of the pitch, but the Gunners will be hoping so in their pursuit of an unlikely Premier League triumph.
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