Leicester City vs Arsenal LIVE Premier League
A win would give the Gunners a five-point lead at the top before Manchester City travel to Bournemouth for the late Saturday evening game. The Gunners will be hoping another Premier League relegation battler can do the business for them.
Until then, they need to do their own job and secure the three points against Leicester. Arsenal won the reverse at the Emirates Stadium 4-2, the same scoreline both sides beat Villa in the past few weeks.
The Foxes however were beaten in their last game 3-0 by Arsenal’s title-challenging pretenders Manchester United.
A leaky defence gives the Gunners hope of a similar high-scoring opportunity and with a near-full-strength squad, Mikel Arteta will be aiming for a stress-free afternoon.
It’s been nip and tuck between Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola’s sides in the past few days, since City’s statement 3-1 win at the Emirates 10 days ago. But the Gunners have been boosted by the return of Thomas Partey to the matchday squad after he had battled a thigh problem.
Leicester have earned just 12 points from 11 home matches this season and are missing key playmaker James Maddison through illness.
Leicester XI confirmed: Ward; Castagne, Souttar, Faes, Kristiansen; Dewsbury-Hall, Ndidi; Praet, Tete, Barnes; Iheanacho.
Subs: Iversen, Ricardo, Amartey, Thomas, Mendy, Tielemans, Soumar, Vardy, Daka
Arsenal XI confirmed: Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Jorginho, Xhaka; Saka, Trossard, Martinelli.
Subs: Turner, Tierney, Tomiyasu, Kiwior, Holding, Smith Rowe, Vieira, Partey, Nketiah
Arsenal have made Oleksandr Zinchenko captain for their match against Leicester as “a mark of respect and love on the first anniversary of the conflict in Ukraine”.
War in Ukraine broke out on February 24 and the conflict is still going on one year after it began.
Arsenal have marked the occasion by making Zinchenko, who is a established Ukraine international, captain for their match at Leicester today.
The Gunners’ usual skipper is Martin Odegaard, while their two vice-captains are Gabriel Jesus and Granit Xhaka. Odegaard and Xhaka have been picked to start the game at the King Power Stadium, but the armband was given to Zinchenko for the match.
Here we go.
1 min: An early opening for Arsenal as Odegaard looks to take it on the turn and volleys goalwards, but it’s comfortably over the bar.
3 mins: It’s absolutely no surprise that Arsenal are dominating the ball in these early stages, they’re zipping it around with confidence.
Saka drifts into some space centrally, switches it to the left, but Martinelli’s sweeping cross is cleared.
5 mins: Leicester haven’t really got out of their own half yet. Arsenal were briefly pressed back but worked it nicely, until Xhaka’s ball across the box is deflected away for a corner.
Ndidi heads it away at the near post.
6 mins: A dangerous run by Saka, jinking into the Leicester box and looking to fire off a shot.
The blue shirts are being pinned back already.
8 mins: Trossard and Martinelli swapping positions. It feels much more like when Jesus plays, with the forward line very fluid.
A little respite for Leicester finally, as they enjoy some possession.
10 mins: Leicester are starting to get their tackles in, and there’s a promising breakaway for the Foxes lead by Iheanacho.
Tete is marshaled out of play by Gabriel after a second wave of Leicester pressure.
12 mins: The pattern of this game was set very early on and has given no indication of changing. Zinchenko is seeing a lot of the ball in an advanced area.
14 mins: Arteta barks some instructions at his players; he knows the importance of an early goal here, to relieve some of the tension after a mixed period for Arsenal of late.
Arsenal are getting plenty of touches in. Gabriel Martinelli tries to dink it over the top for Bukayo Saka on the edge of the box but he’s overcooked it.
16 mins: Kristiansen at left-back for Leicester has a battle on his hands today, to try and shackle Bukayo Saka. He’s fouled him a couple of times already.
Martinelli’s scooped pass doesn’t quite find Saka on the right-hand side of the box.
18 mins: The travelling Arsenal fans have been chanting Jorginho’s name. He’s pulling all the strings from deep-lying midfield.
It’s a corner for the Gunners, as the pressure keeps mounting.
19 mins: Surprise, surprise, the corner is taken short by Arsenal. Martinelli has a half-shout for a penalty but in the end Leicester get a free-kick the other way after the ball was headed back into danger.
21 mins: Arsenal showing much more control today than compared to Villa last week. Arteta will be pleased with this start. They just need to create a clear chance.
22 mins: The final ball hasn’t been right from Arsenal so far. Saka guilty of a poor cross with his right foot.
The stats show that Arsenal have five shots (non on target). Leicester haven’t had o.
24 mins: Leicester enjoy a brief foray into the Arsenal half, courtesy of a long dip downfield by Danny Ward, but the home side can’t hang onto the ball for long.
We’re back to Arsenal dominance, for the most part.
25 mins: Martinelli has been really lively so far. He’s got these Leicester defenders on toast and it’s last-ditch stuff at times from Brendan Rodger’s men.
26 mins: Martinelli has been really lively so far. He’s got these Leicester defenders on toast and it’s last-ditch stuff at times from Brendan Rodger’s men.
Arsenal have had numerous corners. And this on brings the goal! Trossard from the edge of the box, that’s a superb finish.
Was there a foul on Danny Ward in the build up? VAR are looking into it.
28 mins: The goal will not stand, much to Arsenal’s frustration.
That looked a foul by Ben White from me. A silly one too as I am not sure it impacted Ward much. A shame, as that was a great finish from Trossard.
31 mins: Leicester had the ball in the net through Iheanacho not long after the Trossard goal was ruled out. But he was comfortably offside and the flag rightly went up.
Now, Arsenal appeal for a penalty and want a VAR check themselves. It’s all happening….
34 mins: Well, Arsenal will feel they haven’t had the rub of the green, here. First it was VAR ruling out Trossard’s goal for the foul by Ben White, then Saka’s penalty shouts are ignored by the men in Stockley Park.
Both Saka and Arteta cut bemused figures. But it remains goalless.
36 mins: Arsenal rush back in defence to stop a potent-looking Leicester counter-attack. Bad option by Dewsbury-Hall who, to be fair, has been pretty impressive for the hosts.
Good from the Arsenal backline, though.
39 mins: Iheanacho was down injured for a fair while, then. So we might get a few minutes of added time on this opening 45 minutes, especially with the VAR checks, too.
Praet’s free-kick looks for Souttar, but rather stupidly, the big centre-back started in an offside position.
41 mins: Arsenal aren’t quite exerting the level of control that they were exhibiting earlier on.
But they’re still the far likelier side to break the deadlock, as another corner is cleared away.
42 mins: A cheap concession of possession by Zinchenko allows Barnes a dart forward, but Leicester can’t make much of it.
43 mins: Martinelli gets a shot away from a very acute angle, which is off target. He was never going to score from there.
Two added minutes
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The Gunners finish the half on top, but again there’s no way through, with decent defending by Faes for Leicester on this occasion.
The Foxes have kept the shackles on the Premier League leaders so far.
We’re back up and running.
No substitutions by either manager at the break.
What a fantastic start to the second half for Arsenal! Superb finish from Martinelli. He’d lacked end product in the first-half but turned it on there. Huge goal for Arsenal.
47 mins: This could well be a bittersweet moment for Martinelli. He latched onto Trossard’s ball to slide it into the far corner beyond Danny Ward, but the Brazilian appears to be in some pain.
He stayed down as soon as he scored.
49 mins: It’s better news for Arsenal now, with Martinelli on his feet after getting some lenghty treatment. He’s back on the pitch and the noises at the King Power now are being made by the visiting Gooners.
52 mins: Close for Leicester! Really good from Dewsbury-Hall and Barnes to craft the opening, with Barnes feeding Tete at the back post… he can’t quite get the contact to direct it home.
55 mins: Arsenal are again popping it about the pitch with some verve. Zinchenko and Odegaard continue to get on the ball with regularity.
So close!, Saka finishes from close range but the flag goes up! That would have been lovely.
57 mins: Arsenal couldn’t have had any complaints about that latest decision. Clear offside, which VAR confirms.
Can Leicester put a spanner in the works here? They need to offer more.
58 mins: Odegaard is impressing once more.
59 mins: Ward palms away Zinchenko’s shot, Arsenal keep the heat on, and eventually Leicester concede a free-kick in a dangerous position. They can’t get out.
61 mins: The free kick is into the wall and scrambled to something resembling safety for Leicester.
Odegaard is growing into this game just as Leicester begin to tire. He is finding pockets of space just off the forward line and causing problems.
Tielemans and Vardy come on for Iheanacho and Tete for the hosts.
Not before time
64 mins: If anyone is going to create something in a Leicester shirt, it’s Harvey Barnes.
The home side have looked a little better since the changes. They still lack bite, and thrust, and a lot of other things.
67 mins: Yes, Arsenal have been impressive today. Yes, they’re fully deserving of their lead and might have more goals.
But one moment of magic from Leicester could mean two vital dropped points in the title race. Arteta must be urging his players to find a second goal.
69 mins: Nketiah won’t quite get himself onto the pitch just in time for a corner, which Saka won after standing up Kristiansen for the umpteenth time today.
Leciester hack it clear. Gabriel tries to recover it but stabs the ball harmlessly into the side netting.
70 min: Nketiah for Trossard, by the way.
72 mins: Ramsdale is briefly concerned, as Dewsbury-Hall powers a shot just wide of the Arsenal goal. That was a little hairy.
Meanwhile, just a moment to say that Jorginho is a delightful footballer. Why did Chelsea want rid of him? Been excellent today.
75 mins: Soumare is coming on for Leicester. No imminent second sub for Arsenal just yet.
76 mins: Daka is also on for Leicester.
78 mins: Leeds, Aston Villa and West Ham are all winning elsewhere in the Premier League today. Leicester could get pulled into the relegation mire, if they’re not careful. They’ve not been particularly good today.
But they’re only a goal behind.
79 mins: ‘We’ve got super Mik Arteta’, chant the visiting Arsenal fans.
He must know that what Arsenal really need at the moment is a second goal. Jorginho is down with an injury, might have been a blow to the head.
83 mins: Arsenal will finally bring on more subs, with Partey making his return, Odegaard going off.
It’s become very stop-start, towards the end of this game.
85 mins: It’s all about seeing the game out for Arsenal now, you feel. That’s what that Partey sub from Arteta suggests, anyway.
Leicester bring on Ricardo for Castagne.
87 mins: Leicester have offered more in the past 15, 20 minutes, in fairness. But there’s been virtually no clearcut chance to write home about for the Foxes. It only takes one.
Leicester City 0-0 Arsenal
FIVE. Minute added time
91 mins: Tomiyasi is a stoppage time sub for Arsenal, another defensive reinforcement from Arteta as Leicester send balls into the mixer.
Full time. Arsenal can breathe.
The classic ‘1-0 to the Arsenal’ scoreline is enough today. Not pretty in the second half, but very much a deserved three points, which extends the Gunners’ Premier League lead to five points – until around 7.30pm at the earliest!
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