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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.
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2. Aaron Ramsdale Was Worth Every Penny of the £30m
What can you say about Aaron Ramsdale that hasn’t already been said?
On Saturday he was world-class. Plain and simple. That level of performance from a goalkeeper warrants that level of appraisal. When legends of the sport like Peter Schmeichel tweet out mid-game claiming it was the best save he’s seen in years (while his son is at the other end, no less) you stop and take notice.
Similar to the Burnley game, Ramsdale was put under severe pressure towards the end of the first half and the entire second half and he stood tall.
Some of his composure in possession was midfielder-esque, and not only was he unflappable in those situations, he would pick out the right pass each time.
His save to deny James Maddison near half-time was breathtaking. It’s the save of the season to date. The initial £24m deal looks like an absolute bargain after his outing against Leicester. Not only was his shot-stopping incredible, but it was also his distribution that was equally as sharp, constantly spraying the ball around with supreme accuracy.
Sorry Bernd Leno, your position as first-team goalkeeper is now Ramsdale’s. If it wasn’t already. Furthermore, in this form he has every right to be ahead of Jordan Pickford in the England team.
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3. Arteta Has Found His Perfect Arsenal Formula
Everything finally seems to be clicking for Arteta. He has found the best way to get his players going: high pressing, crisp and clean centrality, defensive shape, and most of all, playing with absolute confidence.
All were on show against Leicester as Arsenal flew out of the gates. The home side was powerless to stop them in the first 20 minutes. Consistent harassing, fluid ball movement, a well coordinated full team press, and a willingness to get in the faces of the Leicester players saw the home side wilt under their pressure.
In the first half Arteta got everything right: his formation, team selection, and game management, it was spot on. With this group of players he’s taking big strides.
The second half not so much. There were issues with how deep the team sat off as the Foxes’ waves of attacks came flying forward, a move that was rectified by the substitution of Martin Odegaard which gave Arsenal more control and calmness in the middle of the pitch.
With Arsenal overrun by a rampant Leicester side, however, the defense held strong to produce a memorable win which remarkably lifts them to joint fifth in the Premier League table, something that seemed unthinkable just weeks ago.
Who’d have thought 4-4-2 would be making such a comeback? It’s working.
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1. Rock Solid Gabriel and Benjamin White Defense Keeps Growing
Something that is very “un-Arsenal-like” in the Emirates era.
Similar to the Burnley match, the Arsenal defense was put under extreme pressure for long spells. Constant balls into the box and some creative play from wide players, in particular Harvey Barnes, looked to create problems for the Gunners rearguard.
However, whatever the Foxes threw at Arsenal they coped with brilliantly.
Gabriel, Ben White, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Nuno Tavares were all sensational, keeping Leicester at bay and maintaining shape throughout the barrages of attacks. The line was held brilliantly, they progressed the ball effectively and everything thrown into the box was thrown straight back out – usually by the head of Gabriel.
In years gone by, Arsenal would have conceded and wilted under the pressure and could very well have lost this game. Not this side. There seems to be newfound confidence and the partnership between White and Gabriel is looking better with each passing week. The communication and organization were a standout feature against Leicester, which Ramsdale also deserves credit for.
Another win and six clean sheets in the last nine games points to a defense that is as solid as has been seen in many years at the Emirates Stadium. This back five is something special.