Arsenal have been Manchester City's main rival in the Premier League so far this season with the Gunners leading the reigning champions by five points. Mikel Arteta's side have dropped just five points in 14 matches this term as they now prepare for a crucial second half of the season.
After spending over £100million in the summer transfer window, the arrivals of Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Fabio Vieira have added quality and depth in key areas of the squad. Arsenal have emerged as serious title contenders as Arteta continues to develop and tweak his squad with the aim of returning to the UEFA Champions League.
After missing out on a top four spot at the expense of north London rivals Tottenham last season, the Arsenal board showed faith in their manager and gave Arteta the time to continue working on his long-term project at the Emirates Stadium. The World Cup break threatened to disrupt the Gunners brilliant form, but a key stat has highlighted a fitness advantage Arsenal could have over City when the Premier League resumes later this month.
READ MORE: Ben White leaves England World Cup squad due to 'personal reasons'
Arsenal had 10 players head out to Qatar for the World Cup but after the news of Ben White leaving the England squad due to personal reasons and with the group stages coming to an end on Friday, that number could drop. Bukayo Saka, Aaron Ramsdale and Matt Turner all progressed out of Group B, William Saliba in Group D, along with both Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus for Brazil in Group G.
Takehiro Tomiyasu, Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey's World Cup fates are still uncertain heading into the final group stage fixtures. Comparing representative players from each of the 'top six' clubs in the Premier League, Arsenal hold a key advantage over their rivals.
The Gunners' outfield players featuring at the World Cup have played the least amount of minutes (612) compared to their Premier League rivals, whilst City players have played the most (2327). This could see Arteta welcome back plenty of fresh players after the World Cup, depending how far each nation goes in the tournament.
A mid-season World Cup was always going to take its toll on players but it looks as though Arsenal could have the best outcome with the likes of Jesus, Martinelli and Saliba all unlikely to start for their nations in the latter stages. Brazil manager Tite tends to favour Richarlison ahead of Jesus, whilst Martinelli has Neymar and Vinicius Junior to compete with, whilst Saliba has so far failed to start ahead of Raphael Varane, Ibrahima Konate and Dayot Upamecano for France.
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