Pundit praises clever Arsenal strategy that could give them key title race advantage

Pundit Garth Crooks has praised Arsenal’s clever strategy for celebrating their defensive strength in away games as it seems to give them a psychological edge in difficult matches on the road in the Premier League.

The Gunners earned a convincing 3-0 win away to Brighton at the weekend, putting them top of the table with seven games to go, and Crooks was impressed with the moment when Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba celebrated a defensive block together, which ensured a clean sheet.

The block from Gabriel, who made Crooks’ Premier League team of the week on BBC Sport, was not a crucial moment in terms of winning the game as it would surely only have given Brighton a late consolation, but it’s clear how much it means to these Arsenal players that they’re so hard to beat these days.

The north London outfit have often been characterised in the past for being a bit of a soft touch, but they’re now incredibly solid and barely give their opponents a sniff at goal, perhaps partly due to this kind of mentality from players like Gabriel and Saliba.

In a close title race where goal difference could also be key, it will be important for Arsenal to keep on closing games out like this if they are to maintain that narrow advantage over Liverpool and Manchester City.

Arsenal praised for ‘clever’ strategy

Discussing Arsenal’s strategy, Crooks said: “How Arsenal defend in their next seven Premier League fixtures will determine whether they will be crowned champions or not. That is why their entire back five celebrated as if they had scored a goal when Gabriel blocked a shot in the dying minutes of a match that had already been won against Brighton. To concede at that stage in the 3-0 victorywould have been a no more than a mere