Arsenal could enjoy a slight edge over North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in terms of freshness when the two sides meet this weekend, after the Lilywhites’ international players travelled 29,647 miles with their nations across the last fortnight, according to Sky Sports.
The Gunners’ tally of 17,272 may give them an advantage when the rivalry resumes on Saturday lunchtime, particularly given that star man Alexis Sanchez had no fixtures to attend after Chile’s elimination from their World Cup qualifying group last month.
Sead Kolasinac was another key component of Arsene Wenger’s side to enjoy a two-week break from competitive football; Bosnia-Herzegovina finished third in Group H of the European section, behind Belgium and Greece.
As for those who did feature, Mohamed Elneny clocked 6,211 miles as Egypt played out a 1-1 draw in Ghana, whilst Alex Iwobi had a 3,665 mile trip with Nigeria to face Algeria, followed by a friendly in Russia against Argentina.
It remains to be seen whether this will impact upon Saturday’s clash, particularly given that Spurs’ English core of Harry Winks, Dele Alli and Harry Kane did not join up with the national squad due to slight injuries.
Arsenal will be keen to close the gap on their bitter enemies, with Tottenham currently sitting third in the Premier League table, four points ahead of Wenger’s men in sixth.
However, should the Gunners triumph at the Emirates Stadium, it will put them right back into contention for a top-four spot come the end of the season.
Tottenham have been embroiled in a number of high-profile fixtures over the last month, both domestically and on the continent, with injuries to key men adding up.
Arsenal will hope that another big game will get to the visitors, with the Gunners fans keen to see the balance of power firmly restored with victory on Saturday.