Arsenal won 4-2 at the Emirates Stadium owing to a late own goal by Leicester City player Wilfried Ndidi and a tap-in from Kai Haverz, bringing them level with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.
Mikel Arteta’s team headed into the interval two goals up, after to goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard, with the game looking in hand. But a brace from James Justin, one of which was a spectacular volley in the second half, helped Leicester claw back into the game.
Following Leicester’s second goal, Arsenal dominated. However, Leicester shot stopper Mads Hermansen made several remarkable saves to keep Arsenal at bay.
However, Arsenal ultimately scored a victory in injury time, with the third coming when the ball bounced off Ndidi into the net and the fourth coming when Havertz tapped home, earning the Gunners three crucial points at home.
Here are five things Mikel Arteta learnt during their match against Leicester City.
Almost a missed chance
With Manchester City having drawn earlier in the day against Newcastle United at St James’ Park, the game against Leicester provided an excellent opportunity for the Gunners to regain the initiative and draw level with Pep Guardiola’s side at the top of the Premier League.
And after the first 45 minutes of action at the Emirates, it was a safe bet that Arteta and his teammates would do so. Arsenal were fully in control of the game against Leicester, with goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard putting the Gunners ahead 2-0 at the interval.
However, Arsenal conceded nearly soon after the break as James Justin’s shot deflected off Kai Havertz and past David Raya. Then, shortly after the hour mark, Justin scored a magnificent volley to square the game. Arsenal looked very different in the second half. They dominated the first half, but were damaged in transition by a Leicester team that preferred to sit back and counter.
Fortunately for Arsenal, they broke the deadlock late on with Ndidi’s own goal, and they finished the game with Havertz, despite almost missing out on the Premier League lead.
displaying their naiveté
Arsenal virtually won the game in the first half, that’s how dominant they are. However, by allowing Leicester to score shortly after the break, they gave the Foxes hope.
Steve Cooper’s team battled their way back into the game, demonstrating a battling spirit that appeared to leave Arsenal stunned. While they eventually won the game, there were times when it appeared like they might not be able to break through. Arteta will be concerned that his team surrendered twice in the manner that they did, but it will also give him confidence that they found a way to win the game after appearing to have thrown away two points.
Lack of clinical edge
While Arsenal did score two goals in the first half through strikers Martinelli and Trossard, they should have finished the game in the first 45 minutes. It served as a reminder that the Gunners would most likely require a top-tier striker to win the Premier League.
Arsenal would have won the game easily if not for Mads Hermansen’s heroics in the Leicester goal. Instead, they had to rely on a late own goal and a tap-in from Havertz as the Foxes sent everyone forward in a late charge after losing.
It sounds strange to suggest that the Gunners need another striker in a game in which they scored four (three, actually), but if they had taken their opportunities sooner, they would not have had to let things go down to the wire at the conclusion of the game.
It is appropriate to continue working with Gabriel Martinelli.
While we believe the Gunners should add another top-tier forward to boost their assault, we would be negligent not to mention how impressive Gabriel Martinelli was against Leicester.
The Brazilian attacker has struggled in front of goal this season, but he scored his first against the Foxes. He also assisted Leandro Trossard’s goal and looked dangerous throughout, justifying Mikel Arteta’s choice to start him despite his bad form.
Kept Jamie Vardy silent
Jamie Vardy may not be the striker he once was, but Arsenal was able to keep him quiet. The 37-year-old has previously plagued Arsenal, scoring 11 goals against them. On this time, though, he hardly got a smell.
