The most impressive stat from Arsenal’s 1-0 win at Leicester

Arsenal’s 1-0 victory at Leicester was never going to top Match of the Day’s billing, but the performance and subsequent result highlighted why the Gunners are where they are in the Premier League table.

Their triumph at the King Power temporarily extended their lead at the summit to five points before Man City thumped Bournemouth on the south coast to return the deficit to two. Arsenal will have the chance to regain their five-point advantage on Wednesday when they take on Everton in their game in hand over the Citizens.

There’s still a long way to go in this title race, but the Gunners have overcome a blip to reemerge in pole position at the top. Back-to-back victories on the road have supporters dreaming again, and many were impressed by the manner of their triumph on Saturday afternoon.

The most impressive stat from Arsenal’s 1-0 win at Leicester

Mikel Arteta opted to alter the dynamic of his frontline by deploying Leandro Trossard in a central position with Gabriel Martinelli out on the left. The Belgian performed his function superbly and it was he who teed up the Brazilian for the all-important opening goal at the start of the second half.

In possession, Trossard aided Arsenal’s ability to control and dominate the contest by dropping deep from his forward position. The Gunners overloaded Leicester’s 4-4-1-1 shape out of possession and smartly distributed the ball out wide when the chance arose.

The likes of Oleksandr Zinchenko, Granit Xhaka, and Martin Odegaard were all very smart with their positioning; often drifting wide to escape the Foxes’ compactness.

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Leicester’s ‘press’ was no match for Arsenal’s technical security, and the visitors were able to progress the ball into the final third at will. Sustained pressure was the result when the Foxes struggled to transition with any efficiency.

While the hosts had one or two moments, their indecisiveness combined with Arsenal’s hustle in defensive transition allowed the Gunners to recover and ensure no damage was done. The backline mitigated the hosts’ threat with ease. Without James Maddison, Leicester are simply not the same attacking force.

Nevertheless, that shouldn’t take away from what was a mightily controlled showing from the league leaders. Their goal at the start of the second half was crucial, and they refused to panic when Leicester upped the tempo in the closing stages. According to The xG Philosophy, Arsenal limited Brendan Rodgers’ side to an xG of 0.01! That’s their fourth-lowest xG haul since the collection began of such data.

This was not an attacking exhibition from Arteta’s men, but it was a masterclass in control and at keeping the opposition at arm’s length. Leicester never looked like getting back into the contest, and such serenity stands the Gunners in good stead heading into the run-in.