Leicester City defeated Arsenal 2-0.
Premier League is the competition.
Date: October 30, 2021
King Power Stadium is the venue.
Arsenal’s starting lineup is as follows: Ramsdale, Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tavares, Partey, Lokonga, Smith Rowe, Saka, Lacazette, and Aubameyang.
Leno, Holding, Cedric, Kolasinac, Maitland-Niles, Elneny, Pepe, Odegaard, Martinelli are the substitutes.
Arsenal blasted through Leicester 0-2 in the first half at the King Power Stadium. Gabriel and Smith Rowe both scored in the first half as a result of their high-octane approach.
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The Gunners’ defensive fortitude was tested in the second half as they rejected an ambitious Leicester effort, with Ramsdale standing out at the back. Overall, Arsenal earned all three points in order to climb the league position and draw away from a crowded bunch vying for a place in Europe.
PRE-GAME
Arsenal arrived to the King Power Stadium in fantastic form, having gone 8 games undefeated and dominating their last league encounter against Aston Villa.
Arteta used the same 4-4-2 formation against their competitors for a European place, hoping to maintain their high intensity performance from the Villa encounter.
THE FIRST HALF
Arsenal wanted to establish that their win against Aston Villa was no fluke, and they did so from the start. Aubameyang and Lacazette set the tone for their colleagues, encouraging them to press high up and pin the home side back.
Their high-octane style almost paid off in the opening minute, as Saka and Lacazette combined for a sloppy attempt on goal. The attempt rebounded off an unwary Amartey towards his goal, only for Schmeichel to save it on the line.
Arsenal’s pressure paid off with their second consecutive corner in the fifth minute. Saka floated in an inswinging corner from the right, finding Gabriel, who flicked the ball in to give Arsenal the lead. 0-1 Arsenal
The home squad struggled to control this Arsenal team, whose movement was fluid in the traditional 4-4-2 formation, reminiscent of Arsene Wenger’s finest teams.
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Lacazette came in to stitch the play, Sambi and Partey delivered good long-range strikes, and Tavares provided his frenetic energy as he dribbled in from left back.
This pushing and mobility resulted in their second goal on 17 minutes. Under pressure, Vardy gave up the ball cheaply, and Partey launched a counterattack. The Ghanaian sent the ball to Saka on the right, who squared it for Lacazette on the outside of the box.
Although Lacazette was squeezed out, Leicester was unable to clear the ball far enough. Smith Rowe raced in from the penalty spot and delivered a first-time finish that would have made a peak Robert Pires happy. 0-2 Arsenal
The remainder of the half saw Arsenal brilliantly restrict Leicester while still threatening the hosts on the break. Arsenal was never genuinely under siege, but Ramsdale had to be vigilant late in the half to keep his teammates in the game.
Maddison got a free kick straight down the centre from a good distance out from the penalty area. He shot the ball brilliantly to the right, and if it hadn’t been for Ramsdale’s quick feet and atleticism, the curled attempt would have nestled into the goal. The goalkeeper tipped the ball into the crossbar and blocked the rebound. The ball continued to trickle nearer the goal line, and Partey came to the rescue by clearing it away. Here’s a video of Ramsdale’s great save.
Their defensive heroics earned Arsenal a two-goal lead at the King Power Stadium at halftime.
THE SECOND HALF
Leicester attempted to fight their way back into the game by putting on two replacements and attacking Arsenal. To their credit, Arsenal remained calm in the face of pressure and nipped in smartly to retrieve possession.
Arsenal had to defend deeper, and Leicester’s Thomas had an attempt that just sailed over the post. The home team’s momentum was building.
On the 56th minute, Odegaard came on for a tired Lacazette to arrest and keep possession, but it did not alleviate Leicester’s pressure. Arsenal owed a debt of gratitude to Ramsdale, who made two saves to hold the score at 0-2.
Despite some tense moments as Leicester pressed, Arsenal shown fresh defensive power to reject the Foxes, clearing every cross and blocking every speculative shot from the Foxes. To add insult to injury, Kolasinac appeared in place of Smith Rowe.
Three well-earned points and a clean sheet.
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