Leicester v Arsenal: It may only be the second game of the Premier League season, but it could be make or break in clubs’ title-bid
VOTE: Champs take on Gunners at the King Power Stadium, but who will win the big game... And the Premier League title?
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IT may only be the second game-week of the Premier League season, but it's already somewhat make or break in Arsenal and Leicester's 2016-17 title bid.
Both sides slumped to opening day defeats in their bid to challenge for the all-important trophy.
Of course, Claudio Ranieri's Fearless Foxes stormed to the most famous of Premier League title wins last term, eclipsing the Gunners and their north London rivals Tottenham in a thrilling campaign.
Yet they incredibly lost their opening game 2-1 away to newly-promoted, manager-less Hull - the first time the reigning champions have started the season with a defeat since 1989... When Arsenal managed to slip up against Manchester United.
Arsene Wenger and Co meanwhile were hoping to go one better than last season and earn their first Prem title since the 2003-04 season.
However, the French boss' now-trademark inactivity in the transfer market combined with a home opening-day defeat at the hands of Liverpool - going down 4-3 to Jurgen Klopp's side's attacking masterclass.
Arsenal also managed to miss out on two of their key transfer targets this summer... Leicester pair Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez, who despite looking dead-set on a move, signed new deals at the Foxes.
So, both sides have suffered major blows this summer, with Leicester also losing key midfield cog N'Golo Kante to Chelsea, but can they recover?
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Well the old adage says that if you have any chance of winning the top flight, you can only afford to lose four games.
Unless the pair share the spoils in Saturday's evening kick-off, one side could be halfway there already, after only two of 38 matches.
Through the 2015-16 season, Leicester lost just three matches en route to 81 points, while Arsenal lost seven, as they ended ten points back on 71.
However, it is possible to lose more than four matches and still win the title - in fact, the Prem has been won by teams who lost SIX matches in a season four times, once by Arsenal, once by Manchester City and twice by Manchester United.
City pulled it off most recently in 2013-14, while Arsenal did so in 1997-98 and United managed it in 1995-96 and 2000-01.
So, simply put, can either team afford to lose this match and have zero point from their opening two games?
Would both sides be happy with a draw? Or will both sides be desperate to get back on track with all three points?
- Vote in SunSport's two-part poll below, firstly on the outcome of the game at the King Power Stadium AND as to who will win the Premier League this year.