Arsenal welcome Leicester City to the Emirates Stadium this Sunday for each teams’ 26th league game of the season, in what is a must-win game for both sides in their quests for the league title.
This is possibly the Gunners’ most important match of the league campaign so far. A poor run of form which resulted in only one win in their last five matches means that Arsenal go into this fixture five points behind league leaders Leicester – a loss this weekend would have the potential to end Arsenal’s hunt for a first league title since 2004. Currently, Arsenal sit in third in the league table, but there is large scope to work with considering there is more than a third of the season to go, and that all of the top four are in action against another top four team this weekend. Put simply, this is the “make-or-break” match for this side this season.
Arsène Wenger’s men will go into this match more fired up than they perhaps would’ve a couple of weeks ago, because of their last result. The Gunners took a trip to the south coast and dispatched Bournemouth with ease. Goals from the man-in-form Mesut Özil and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain secured a win which kept them in the hunt for pole position. This 2-0 win was much needed – five games without a win doesn’t look out-of-place for a relegation-battling team – and their effective and creative attacking play will give them hope against the defensively solid Foxes.
Whilst Arsenal did control the proceedings for most of that match, once again we saw them sit back and try and see out the game towards the latter stages, thereby inviting pressure without retaliation in the opponent’s final third. What fans have become accustomed to, as a result, is a nervy ending to games where Arsenal are winning yet they seem so close to losing their lead. Perhaps invited on through substitutions, nonetheless it is particularly important that the north London side continue to press Leicester right to the death to counter their fast, technically skilled attackers. Aspects like a deep defensive line and ensuring the defensive midfielder stays covering the space in front of his backline (a command which sometimes appears alien to Mathieu Flamini) will also be essential to countering the renowned and lethal Leicester counter-attack.
The words to describe Leicester’s season have been overused – one of a kind, extraordinary, incomprehensible – but only because of the nature of the achievement. Leading the Premier League by a considerable distance with a first XI a tenth of the price of Manchester City’s is a one of a kind, extraordinary and incomprehensible achievement, and as a result they are, of course, not to be taken lightly. Arsenal will take this team as equals to them given the situation at the very least, and as a result, a thrilling and decisive encounter is set up for this Sunday lunchtime.
Arsenal are taking on a team who are finally starting to believe that they can win the title, as a result of their win last week at the Etihad. Comfortably the better side on the occasion, Claudio Ranieri’s team beat Manchester City 3-1, with a brace from Robert Huth and a goal from arguably the best in the league at the moment – and likely soon-to-be Nacho Monreal’s hardest opponent this season – Riyad Mahrez. The quality of this team shouldn’t be in doubt right now and Arsenal go into this match as the underdogs in many respects.
A player Leicester should watch out for is Alexis Sanchez. His opposing man in Danny Simpson isn’t one of the stand-out bunch in this Leicester XI so an advantage arises for the Chilean. Alexis is itching for a first league goal since coming back from his injury and, with it being such a big occasion this Sunday, this would be the perfect time to score. Not to mention, the 27-year-old scored a hat-trick when last the two sides met, leaving the winger in good morale for this fixture.
A player Arsenal need to watch out for is N’Golo Kante. In many respects he is the unsung player in Leicester City’s team – a bargain at £5m from Caen last summer, he is a powerhouse who is the heart of a Foxes counter-attack with his passing. Given all the shortfalls the current Arsenal midfield has at the moment, this provides another platform for Kante to once again show his quality against another top team.
The last time these two faced ended up a 5-2 win for Arsenal at the King Power Stadium. It’s surprising that this is the only time this season that Leicester have been fully undone to the point of significant defeat – definitely giving hope to Wenger and his team. The Gunners sacrificed defensive stability for all out attacking prowess, however, with the Ranieri counter-attacking machine at full power and Arsenal being out-of-form, that style of play may just end up suicidal.
Match facts
– Arsenal are the only team who can complete a league double over the Foxes in 2015-16.
– Leicester are winless in their last 18 league matches against the Gunners (drawn six, lost twelve).
– Arsenal have only beaten the league leaders once in their last 11 attempts (drawn four and lost six), scoring four goals and conceding 18.
– The Gunners have kept 12 clean sheets this season, a league high with Manchester United.
– Arsenal have only conceded once all season when Gabriel Paulista has completed 90 minutes.
– Leicester have lost just one of their last 16 Premier League away games (won ten, drawn five) – they’ve picked up more points on the road than any other side this season (28).
– Riyad Mahrez has scored 14 league goals and supplied 10 assists. He is the first player to reach double figures in both categories this season.
Team news
No new injury problems for Arsenal. Danny Welbeck is in contention for a place on the bench after appearing in the reserves last week, whilst Francis Coquelin is pushing for a start over Mathieu Flamini. Santi Cazorla, Jack Wilshere and Tomas Rosicky remain out for lengthy periods of time.
Leicester have no new injury concerns, but Jeffrey Schlupp and Matty James are still out with long-term problems. Daniel Amartey is still short of match fitness.
Match facts
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Cech; Bellerin, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Monreal; Coquelin, Ramsey; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Özil, Alexis; Giroud.
Leicester City (4-2-2): Schmeichel; Simpson, Huth, Morgan, Fuchs; Mahrez, Drinkwater, Kante, Albrighton; Okazaki, Vardy.
