Arsenal Vs Leicester City: Recap, Highlights And Analysis

Arsenal returned to Premier League duties on Wednesday night, hosting Leicester City. Here is the full recap, all the highlights and analysis from the 1-0 win.

What a crucial victory. Without any potency in the final third, any creativity in midfield and any threat in behind throughout, Arsenal were able to grind out the win that keeps them in the fight for the top four positions. They were slow, ponderous, blunt. All the things that have plagued their performances in recent months.

But, most importantly, they won.

The first half started in predictable fashion. Arsenal dominated possession, playing it patiently from side-to-side, waiting for the opening to arrive, while Leicester were happy to let them have it, constricting the space with which their hosts could work in in the final third, and looking to threaten through the pace of Jamie Vardy on the break.

However, the ponderous, lethargic play of Granit Xhaka and, especially, Francis Coquelin in midfield meant that chances were few and far between for the Gunners. In fact, their first shot on goal did not come until the 27th minute when Theo Walcott cleverly chipped the ball over the defender’s leg and poked a shot towards the near post, which Kasper Schmeichel parried comfortably away for a corner.

That was after Leicester had enjoyed the best two chances of the game: Vardy turned a shot towards goal but was unable to wrap his foot around the first time effort, finding the side netting, and Riyad Mahrez saw his volley from a long throw in acrobatically saved by Petr Cech thanks to some lightning reflexes.

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The game proceeded in its anticipated and foreseen flow, with Alexis Sanchez particularly frustrated, repeatedly losing the ball thanks to a loose first touch or wayward pass. It was, though, the Chilean that came closest to opening the scoring with a crashing, dipping, diving shot after turning away from Danny Simpson, which was denied only thanks to the crossbar.

Both sides entered the break level but it was Leicester who by the far the happier of the two. Arsenal needed a spark, a catalyst. Unfortunately, for love nor money, it simply couldn’t be found.

Granit Xhaka had a shot deflected and well saved, Alexis Sanchez saw the ball nicked off of his feet by Robert Huth just as he was looking unleash a shot on goal, while Arsene Wenger turned to Danny Welbeck to try and engineer some attacking productivity, shifting to a back four in the process.

However, the telling story of the tie was the lack of chances. As has been the case for many months, now, Arsenal were far too slow in possession, seemingly out of ideas in the final third, happy to pass it backwards and square, rather than taking a risk and trying to create chances and score goals.

And yet, Arsenal were, somehow, able to eek out the win thanks to rather fortunate circumstances. Alexis Sanchez played a deflected cross into the area, Olivier Giroud made his presence known and the ball, eventually, fell to Nacho Monreal. The left-back swung his leg, struck a shot towards goal, seeing it flick off of Robert Huth, and nestling into the far corner, past a sprawling Kasper Schmeichel.

Arsenal, unusually, saw the game out with relative ease. They had defended well all night and continued to do so in the final moments. There was a little moment of oddness as Alexis Sanchez, in trying to obstruct the throw-in, went down holding his face after Christian Fuchs threw the ball, rather petulantly, it must be said, at his shoulder.

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It is a win that continues the recent uptick in form, and although the performance was far from the level expected of the side, for a team that are struggling from a lack of confidence, and in a position where only the result matters, this was certainly a case of job done, if not particularly well.

Highlights

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