Leicester vs Arsenal Premier League preview: How to watch, lineups, team news & prediction

Arsenal face the sternest test yet of their recent run as they travel to Leicester on Saturday for matchweek ten of the Premier League season. Here is the preview.

It’s all going rather well, isn’t it? Stopping short of going very well, the season is at least plodding along better than expected after the horror opening. Following the 2-0 win over Leeds, Arsenal find themselves unbeaten in eight matches and into the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup.

That’s not too shabby.

As a trip to the King Power Stadium is next up on the fixture list, the aforementioned run is well timed. Brendan Rodgers’ side look like they’re starting to click in the Premier League this season despite only find themselves above Arsenal on goal difference.

Leicester vs Arsenal: Premier League preview of Saturday’s clash at the King Power Stadium as Arteta aims to extend unbeaten run

An identical record in terms of victories and defeats, the standout feature of their league form that only four teams have conceded more than their 15 goals so far. Defensively they’ve been all over the place, which hasn’t been helped by Wesley Fofana’s injury, Cagalar Soyuncu’s form and summer signing Jannik Vestergaard looking relatively hopeless.

None of which alters the fact this is a tough stadium to come to and a match that could have huge literal and mental consequences on both sides’ aims this season.

With Leicester’s Europa League involvement and the strength of the top three sides, they look set to be one of the teams directly competing with Arsenal for a top six berth. Yet, they will harbour the hope of snatching top four.

Manchester United look like being the side to wobble, so there is real scope for a club to sneak into the Champions League places as their expense. It’s unlikely to be Arsenal, and more so the Foxes, but both managers will have it within their sights.

Speaking of the top six, victory on Saturday will see Arsenal move up into fifth position ahead of the rest of the teams playing, which will constitute their highest standing in the table so far this season – no matter how short lived it may be.

The truest test yet of whether Mikel Arteta is indeed turning a corner with this team awaits in Leicestershire. It should be a cracking Premier League affair.

How to Watch on TV

When Is Kick Off? Saturday 30 October
What Time Is Kick Off? 12:30 (GMT)
Where Is it Played? King Power Stadium
TV Channel/Live Stream? BT Sport (UK) fuboTV (USA)
Referee? Michael Oliver

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Arsenal Team News vs Leicester – Will Tierney & Odegaard be Back?

There were hearts in mouths against Leeds when Benjamin White fell to the floor early in the second half and had to be substituted. Looking hugely impressive of late, supporters were relieved to hear from Arteta that the issue wasn’t injury related and instead down to a bug that had been circulating around the camp.

He should therefore to fit to take on the Foxes, although Rob Holding going down towards the end of the match did appear to be injury related.

Two other absentees from that match were Kieran Tierney and Martin Odegaard. Arteta also provided an update on the pair and the hope is they will be fit for Saturday.

"“[Tierney and Odegaard] tried yesterday but didn’t feel great,” he said. “Hopefully in the next few days they can feel better and be available against Leicester”."

The cause of Odegaard’s absence isn’t known, whereas Tierney has been suffering from a bruised ankle. Nuno Tavares is fit and able in the case of the Scot recovering.

Pablo Mari was also feeling unwell although that shouldn’t impact the squad for the trip to the King Power Stadium, while Granit Xhaka is still on the road to recovery as he targets a 2022 return.

Rodgers will be hoping to have duo James Justin and Wilfred Ndidi back for the weekend after the pair resumed training, although neither made the squad for their Carabao Cup penalty success over Brighton. Their other long-term absentee is centre-back Fofana.

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Arsenal Predicted Lineup to Face Leicester – Nuno Tavares to Stay at Left-Back?

Leicester: Schmeichel; Amartey, Evans, Soyuncu; Pereira, Tielemans, Soumare, Castagne, Iheanacho, Maddison, Vardy

Arsenal: Ramsdale; Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tavares; Partey, Sambi, Saka, Lacazette, Smith Rowe; Aubameyang

Leicester vs Arsenal Score Prediction

Norwich, Burnley, AFC Wimbledon, Tottenham, Brighton, Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Leeds. There are cases to make for some of the opposition faced in that run being in better form than Leicester, but of all during that spell this is surely the toughest of the lot.

Struggling to keep out goals at one end, Leicester are having no problems scoring them at the other. It’s 15 conceded and 15 scored for Rodgers’ side, who are only just starting to click with it now five matches unbeaten in all competitions.

They’ve netted at least twice in each of those encounters.

But while this isn’t a derby game where the proverbial form book is thrown out of the window, the significance of three points for either side in this one should see this be a fiercely competitive encounter.

A win for either will see them move up into fifth spot and as both teams look set to battle it out for a European place this season it will be three points in Rodgers’ and Arteta’s sights.

The shift in approach from Arsenal appears to be geared more towards a his pressing unit. It’s a tactical move that suits the players the team has, and with Leicester usually adopting a three-man defence just as Villa did, if the Gunners can replicate the how they pinned the wing-backs deep into their own half their is joy to be had on Saturday.

Rodgers is a smart man and for that reason he could revert to a flat back four, but it’s a move that also means he can’t employ his favoured forward duo of Iheanacho and Vardy, so he may be adverse to the idea.

Arsenal have momentum on their side. Can they keep it up?

Score Prediction: Leicester 1-1 Arsenal