Arsenal Vs Leicester City: Highlights and analysis – Wretched run continues

Arsenal travelled to Leicester City on Wednesday evening in the hope of ending their wretched, pointless away run in 2018. Here is the full recap, all the highlights and analysis of the 3-1 loss.

It was an outstanding game. The release of pressure on both teams because of their respective circumstances allowed them to play. Even an early sending off would not ruin the spectacle. Unfortunately, however, that spectacle, led to Arsenal failing to pick up a point on their travels once again, prolonging the disastrous 2018 away record for one more match. Arsene Wenger can be happier with his side’s performance than in previous defeats. There was heart in this one, and with ten men, it was always going to be difficult. But the fact still remains. If Huddersfield Town win on Sunday, the Gunners would have picked up one away point in the whole of 2018.

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It was a strange first 45 minutes of football. The whole game changed in a two-minute spell. I’ll get to that later. But the whole half had a strange, freeing sense, as if both teams wanted to win but didn’t care if they lost. I guess that comes with the position that both teams are in with the Premier League campaign now in its final week.

That said, it was the Gunners who started in the ascendancy, something that was a little peculiar given their usual troubles on the road this season, of which much has been made of. They passed the ball through the midfield zones nicely, controlling the pattern of the game, and looked the more likely to score. That was until Leicester scored.

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The goal was disappointing from an Arsenal perspective. While there was no clear individual error, like there has been in recent away matches, it was a collective inability to clear the ball that led to the opening goal. First, it was a corner-kick. Then it was a cross from Riyad Mahrez. Finally, it was another cross that looped all the way to the back post, was cleverly headed back into the penalty area by Fousseni Diabate, and lethally finished by Kelechi Iheanacho into the bottom corner.

And then, just a minute later the game completely turned on its head, and not in the way that Arsenal would like. Konstantinos Mavropanos, who had looked so assured in his first two starts for the club, dallied on the ball on the halfway line, had his pass intercepted, and then, in panic, hauled down Kelechi Iheanacho as the Leicester striker raced through on goal. It was a fairly clear sending off and meant that Arsenal had to play the remaining 75 minutes not only a goal down, but a man down also.

Obviously, this shifted the control of the match. Leicester were able to dominate in midfield a little more thanks to their numerical advantage. Wenger did introduce Shkodran Mustafi for Danny Welbeck and his team sat a little deeper whenever they did not have possession. Petr Cech was called into action on a number of occasions, making good saves from a Riyad Mahrez freekick and a couple of Kelechi Iheanacho strikes, and at the other end Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang prodded wide from a corner and Henrikh Mkhitaryan forced Eldin Jakupovic into a good save down low after some nice work from Alex Iwobi.

Nevertheless, at half-time, this was not a game that looked like it would end the wretched, pointless away run of 2018.

The second half started breathlessly. Sead Kolasinac struck the post at the end of a lovely, one-touch move that worked its way from a tight area on the right wing, into the midfield and out to the left flank, where it found the bombarding Bosnian. Then, on the immediate counter-attack, Jamie Vardy was inches offside as he rounded Petr Cech, moments before Cech then made an outstanding save to deny Fousseni Diabate after some lovely hold-up play by Vardy once more.

To end the enthralling opening to the second 45 minutes, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang then scored to level the match. The ball was switched out to Ainsley Maitland-Niles on the right flank by Granit Xhaka. Maitland-Niles, after cushioning the ball under his control, immediately drives at the Leicester defender, powers into the penalty area, and pulls a lovely cut-back for Aubameyang, who, at the second time of asking after a good save from Eldin Jakupovic, thrashed the ball into the roof of the net.

The game continued very much in a to-and-fro manner. Both teams wanted to win, both teams were willing to attack, even though Arsenal only had ten men, and there was space at either end for chances, especially on the counter-attack. Jamie Vardy was marginally offside on several occasions, Aubameyang was consistently looking to get in behind the Leicester defence, while Henrikh Mkhitaryan first lashed a shot over the crossbar after a sumptuous first touch and then failed to find Aaron Ramsey after a wonderful break.

The crucial moment of the second half, however, came in the 75th minute. Demarai Gray, who had just been introduced for Fousseni Diabate, twisted and turned his way past Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who defended the one-on-one poorly, and was then clipped by Henrikh Mkhitaryan when he collected the rebounded cross. It was a poor challenge by Mkhitaryan and a clear penalty. Jamie Vardy, predictably, smashed it home.

Arsenal pressed for the equaliser as the game entered its dying stages, but couldn’t quite carve out any genuine opportunities. Henrikh Mkhitaryan did have a couple of chances to deliver, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had a pot shot from the edge of the area that deflected into the arms of Eldin Jakupovic. But, ultimately, the numerical disadvantage was what did for the Gunners.

And the Leicester ended it in true Leicester tie. They consistently tried to get in behind the Arsenal defence, especially as the away side pushed for the equaliser, and finally did so thanks to Riyad Mahrez. The Algerian, released down the left flank by an early ball from midfield, drove into the penalty area, cut inside Rob Holding with a dummy and swerve, and then arrowed a shot past Petr Cech and into the far corner.

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It was an admirable performance by Arsenal, far different from their usual away displays this season. This loss was not because of their ineptitude like previous defeats. They huffed and they puffed, but they didn’t quite have enough in the end. Disappointing, yes, but not as devastating as some others.

Highlights

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