Arsenal maintained momentum in the Premier League title race by securing a 1-0 victory over Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.
The challenge for Mikel Arteta’s team was clear from the start as the Foxes were happy to concede the ball and do nothing.
The Gunners had the ball in the net thanks to a Leandro Trossar shot into the top corner in the 29th minute, but VAR interference brought Ben White’s foul on goalkeeper Danny Ward to the referee’s attention.
Arsenal had 74% possession in the first half, but it was Trossard’s long ball and accurate pass that caught Gabriel Martinelli just moments after the restart, and his finish was as impressive as the assist.
The introduction of Jamie Vardy and Youri Tielemans saw Leicester switch to a more aggressive approach and manager Brendan Rodgers added an additional striker in Patson Duck, but the hosts were unable to counter Arsenal’s tenacious defence.
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Positive sides
Arsenal dictated possession for the entire 90 minutes, created regular chances and did not allow the opposition to create anything significant. Excellent performance, although the score could have been higher.
Negative
Arsenal sometimes gave away the ball in unnecessary places, because of which they missed chances for which they could be punished by a stronger opposition.
Manager rating (out of 10, 10 = best)
8 Arteta’s tactical approach to this game seemed to fit perfectly against the Rodgers system, where Arsenal dominated everything.
Player Ratings (players introduced after 70 minutes = unranked)
GK Aaron Ramsdale, 6 – A spectator in the first half, when Leicester did not record a single shot on goal. Ramsdale will thank his defense for what could have been a practice match.
DF Oleksandr Zinchenko, 8 — Zinchenko was captain for the day as a mark of respect for the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. At the heart of most promising spells for Arsenal, as the opponent struggled to pick up his move as he drifted inward, he connected well with Martinelli from the left and closed with an effort that forced Ward to make a save.
DF Gabriel Magalhaes, 7 – Gabriel’s serious approach allowed him to regularly prevent attacks from building up. He looked unbalanced throughout the match.
DF William Saliba, 7th – He kept his focus and handled situations well when the Foxes tried to counterattack. Pretty easy matchup for Saliba.
DF Ben White, 5 – The right-back won the battle on his flank, but it was his foul on Ward that ruled out Arsenal’s debut.
MF Jorginho, 6 – Demanded a good game and moved the ball forward at the right time. His best pass came in the first half when he hit Bukayo Saku.
MF Granite Jaka, 7 – I always tried to play progressively and calculated my leaps forward well in order to make room for Zinchenko. Worked hard to get back during defensive transitions.
MF Martin Odegaard, 6 years old – The Norwegian was hard to pick up when running from defense and made some sharp passes, but he seemed to be slower than usual making decisions.
FW Gabriel Martinelli, 7 years old – Stayed on the left flank and threatened at times in the first half, but it wasn’t until after half-time that he landed a classy shot past Ward to give Arsenal the lead.
FW Leandro Trossar, 7 – Trossard had a brilliant ending in the first half, which would have been justified if not for White’s foul. Made Martinelli’s assist an overall great game for Belgium.
FW Bukayo Saka, 6 – Regular runs to the rear gave Arsenal one of the best routes to the net, although Saka was quiet in the second half.
Substitutes
Eddie Nketiah, 6 years old — I went for Trossard in the 70th minute and didn’t get on the score sheet.
Thomas Party, North Carolina — Engaged to help see the game in the last minutes.
Source: www.espn.com
