Rested but injury-stricken, Arsenal should still be too strong for defensively frail Leicester.
By Ian King
Contrasting form
Leicester’s brief bump, which came through beating Spurs away, came crashing back to earth with a 4-0 defeat at Everton a fortnight ago. The Spurs win had been their first since 3 December, but the Everton performance didn’t indicate that it would be repeated particularly soon, though they were unfortunate not to take Manchester United to extra-time in the FA Cup last weekend.
Arsenal, of course, continue to ride the crest of a wave in the League following their 5-1 win against Manchester City a fortnight ago. Putting five past The Erling Haaland Team made something of a mockery of all the chatter about their need for a number nine, though they were then well beaten by Newcastle in the Carabao Cup. They’re still unbeaten in the League since early November and have had a little FA Cup-related break.
History
This game is a record-breaker. When they drew 6-6 on the 21st April 1930, it set a record for the highest scoring draw in the top flight which still stands today. In more recent times, Leicester’s record against the Gunners hasn’t been so great. They’ve lost their last six in a row, although they did win four and draw one of the seven prior to that. When the two met earlier this season Arsenal eventually won 4-2, but not before losing a two-goal lead and then recovering to win in stoppage-time.
Key players
Leicester have been pretty poor up front this season, but they did score twice at The Emirates in September with both scored by a defender; James Justin. Jamie Vardy’s goal at Spurs was his first in the Premier League since the 8 December. He’s scored seven but no-one else has scored more than four. Leicester really need his goals if they’re to stay up this season.
Arsenal, meanwhile, had five different goalscorers against Manchester City, but the one of those five who drew the most attention was Myles Lewes-Skelly, whose post-goal celebration grabbed the headlines the following morning. It was his first for the club, and it came from his very first shot recorded in the Premier League! Might he have another in him this weekend?
Team News
It never crisis, it crises. Kai Havertz is now reported as out for the season, joining Takehiro Tomiyasu, Ben White, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka on the Arsenal injury list.
Jamie Vardy, Jannik Vestergaard, and Victor Kristiansen may all return for Leicester following the Manchester United game, though Issahaku Fatawu and Ricardo Pereira are absent, Fatawu for the season.
Prediction
This match is third from bottom against second in the table, and there’s little to recommend Leicester being able to get a result from this one. Liverpool’s midweek draw in the final Goodison Park Merseyside Derby means that the gap will be seven rather than nine, so the chase is on for an Arsenal team who also had a bit of rest as a result of their early FA Cup elimination. A comfortable 3-0 win against a team likely to be relegated come the end of this season sounds about right.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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