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Leicester vs Arsenal: 4 talking points from vital 2-0 win
By Adam Schultz
A potentially season-defining victory for Arsenal. Coming to the King Power Stadium to face a Leicester City side in good form, a 20-minute spell in the first half put the Foxes to the sword. Goals from Gabriel and Emile Smith Rowe sent the Gunners on their way.
It was as impressive a performance as Arsenal had put forth all season. Starting like a house on fire, again, the team took a deserved lead when Gabriel’s towering leap was met with a wonderfully angled header into the far corner.
Arsenal continued ploughing forward and the second goal was the least they warranted for forcing the Leicester defence into sixes and sevens. Thomas Partey set the counter-attack in motion and when the ball fell to Emile Smith Rowe in the box his cool finish made it 2-0 after 18 minutes.
Leicester did their best to get back into the game as Arsenal began sitting off, but Aaron Ramsdale was sensational as he denied the Foxes time and time again with a string of incredible saves.
Leicester vs Arsenal: 4 talking points from vital 2-0 win as Mikel Arteta’s side win in Premier League and extend unbeaten run to nine games
The second half started as the first finished with the play being all Leicester’s.
They pushed hard for a way back into the game only to be repeatedly thwarted by Ramsdale and the series of blocks made by the whole team. Try as they might, their route back into the game never came as the Gunners rearguard was stoic in defense all day.
The game certainly provided a whole host of talking points. Here are four of them.
1. Arsenal’s Fast Starts Becoming a Habit
It was a scintillating start to the game for Arsenal, something that has become a theme in recent weeks. The visitors were 2-0 up with just under 20 minutes played as Leicester looked shell-shocked.
Against Crystal Palace the outstanding complaint was how the team took their foot off the pedal as soon as they went in front. Inviting pressure and chances on goal, that was rectified shortly after against Villa, and once again at the King Power Stadium.
It is a clear instruction from Arteta to start fast, press high, be clean and crisp with the ball, and most importantly, finish the good work. In four of their last five games, the Gunners have scored first and on Saturday, in the first half, they were irresistible.
How the team engulfed the home side led to the home fans jeering their players with any kind of back pass – such was Arsenal’s dominance early on.
It is a clear blueprint for how Arteta wants his team to start games and going by what we have seen in recent weeks, if they keep it up, they will win far more games than they lose.
Continued on next page…