Gary Neville feels that Arsenal have benefitted from leaving Gabriel, Willian and David Luiz out of their starting line-up.
Speaking on his self-titled podcast, Neville said that he has seen a major transformation at Arsenal in recent weeks.
The Gunners have turned from a side which looked bereft of confidence into one which is playing stylish, attacking football.
And Neville feels that Arsenal’s up-turn in form has coincided with the exclusion of Luiz, Gabriel and Willian from their starting line-up.
“Arsenal beating Chelsea has transformed their confidence,” he said. “They had issues before that game, with Gabriel, Willian and David Luiz.
“All of a sudden out of that, you see what you get. Sometimes you can fall upon something because of circumstances you don’t expect and don’t think will help you and look what’s happened to Arsenal – they look a completely different team.
“They look like a group of players who have energy and that body language is back.”
Gabriel is the only player that Neville has mentioned which Arsenal fans may want back in their starting line-up.
The Brazilian central defender has made a bright start to life at the Emirates Stadium, although he now faces a fight to get back into Arteta’s team.
Rob Holding and Pablo Mari have looked solid at the back for Arsenal in his absence, and helped keep a clean sheet in Arteta’s side’s 4-0 victory over West Brom at the weekend.
Willian and Luiz, meanwhile, will surely have to wait a long time before they start again for Arsenal in a Premier League game, as they seem to have fallen a long way down the pecking order now.
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