Wenger - Leicester have scouted so well

Arsene Wenger says Leicester City are having a strong start to the season because of the players they have brought in.

The Foxes are the only Premier League team not to have lost in all competitions this season, having won five of their opening eight games. They currently sit fourth in the table, two points ahead of Arsenal.

New manager Claudio Ranieri took nine players with him to King Power Stadium this summer, including Switzerland captain Gokhan Inler, and Wenger has been impressed with Leicester’s signings.

“They had a very strong finish last year,” he said. “They finished with seven wins in the final part of the season. They scouted very well and the emergence of players like Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy makes them always dangerous.

“They brought in N’Golo Kante and I think they have done a very good job. They made 10 changes on Tuesday night against West Ham who made only three, and they had just beaten Manchester City away from home. They beat West Ham and that shows that they have a massive squad.”

Saturday’s fixture will be the first time Wenger and Ranieri have met in the Premier League since 2004, and the Arsenal manager revealed he is an admirer of the Italian.

“Against Claudio it was difficult because when he left Chelsea, he built the team that was so successful at the start,” he said. “I remember them finishing second in the league with Ranieri and the team was upcoming with young players like John Terry and Frank Lampard who were the players that contributed to the success of Chelsea.

"I’ve followed his career because I have a big respect for Claudio Ranieri. He’s a great manager and a great man as well. Ranieri is Italian, they love clean sheets in Italy and they love to defend well. We would love to defend well against Leicester but also to attack well.”

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