Arsenal don’t have any players leaving for AFCON later this month, which will only boost their chances of winning a Premier League title.
The Gunners look to get back to winning ways against Brentford on Wednesday night, and extend their lead over Man City to five points, after Pep Guardiola’s side beat Fulham on Tuesday. Arsenal’s squad is perhaps the deepest in the Premier League, and it’s only going to look deeper when other teams get hit by AFCON.
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The FIFA tournament will see players leave their clubs from December 15, and depending on how well they do, players could be away until late January, with the final taking place on January 18.
It means that some Premier League teams could be seriously hit by the tournament, depending on how many African players they have. The Gunners are lucky, as they don’t have any leaving for AFCON, but several clubs do have some serious problems.
Which clubs will be hit most by AFCON?
Sunderland – 7 players
Regis Le Bris’ side have been excellent this season as they returned to the Premier League, but they will see seven players potentially leave for AFCON, which is a big hit. It will surely be tough for them to retain their form.
Wolves – 5 players
It will go from bad to worse for bottom-placed Wolves, as they are set to lose five players for AFCON, making Rob Edwards’ very tough job, even tougher.
Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest – 4 players
Palace look comfortable at the moment, but their squad depth isn’t great, so they could do with January additions, especially if they lose four players later in December. Forest are also set to lose four players, which could make Sean Dyche’s relegation escape more difficult, and their pursuit of the Europa League.
Man United, Fulham, Burnley, Everton – 3 players
The Red Devils are set to lose star players Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo, which will be a big hit for Amorim. Fulham, Burnley and Everton will also look to consolidate their place in the Premier League, but it could be more difficult losing three names. Everton especially, as they will lose star attacker Iliman Ndiaye.
Man City, Brentford, Tottenham, West Ham – 2 players
Arsenal’s title rivals Man City are set to lose Omar Marmoush and Rayan Ait-Nouri, which could help the Gunners. Brentford, Spurs and West Ham will also see significant departures later in the month too.
Liverpool, Aston Villa, Brighton, Bournemouth – 1 player
Mo Salah leaving Liverpool is a big headline, but another one is Antoine Semenyo leaving Bournemouth which will also hit the Cherries hard after his excellent start to the season.
Arsenal, Newcastle, Chelsea, Leeds – 0 players
The four teams who won’t see any players leaving for AFCON will be feeling smug at this point, as they should have an advantage over the Winter.
Click here to see Arsenal’s full first team squad heading into AFCON.