Leicester started the game in a very positive way and was the better team for most of the first half, creating a number of opportunities and really looking good.
Puel came out in a type of a camouflage system, not easy to tell what he was up to, playing Maddison in the middle and Iheanacho and Vardy out wide, but it worked well as City managed to keep momentum and press Arsenal backwards.
Amartey had been moved into the middle with Evans and Maguire, and at once Amartey looked more settled as he is getting more exposed out wide to the right. Chilwell and Pereira played at the flanks, with Mendy and Ndidi in the center. So you can call it what you want, but it was a 3-4-3 of some kind, or some sort of 3-5-2 but not sure.
Harry Maguire and Kelechi Iheanacho both had great chances before Ben Chilwell converted a good pass from Ndidi into a goal via the foot of Hector Bellerin. Leicester were 1-0 up, and at that time it was fair.
The fact that Leicester early in the first half never were given a clear penalty from a Holding handball, made it even more satisfying to get that first goal. Leicester continued to do well, but as we had feared, Puel’s plan didn’t last longer than 44 minutes, with a clinical finish from Ozil making it 1-1.
Leicester again came close early in the second half with a header in the crossbad from Wilfred Ndidi, and again of course sad to see yet another great chance missed. As always you will be punished for those errors later on against good teams such as Arsenal.
While Leicester’s substitutions never worked in favor of the team, Arsenal experienced the total opposite, with Aubameyang coming on and scoring 2-1 and 3-1 after fantastic play, as Leicester had to see a new defeat and points lost, after a relatively good game.
All Arsenal goals were both fantastic to watch, scoring after great one touch passing finished by Ozil and Aubameyang . Looking at the game in total, Arsenal deserved the win, but everything could have been very different if that penalty had been given.
- Positives:
- Most players doing well in a difficult game
- Creating a great number of clear chances
- A great goal and finish from Ben Chilwell
- Being able to dominate in periods at The Emirates, not often seen
- Negatives:
- Vardy getting injured in the end, after a difficult game
- Puel not being able to get the best out of substitutions
- Ghezzal not really a player for this type of event, strange performance
- Letting in three goals, not being able to cover, being outplayed at times
- Not being able to convert great chances into goals
- Player Ratings: Schmeichel 7. Amartey 6, Chilwell 7, Evans 5, Maguire 7, Mendy 6, Ndidi 7, Vardy 5, Iheanacho 6, Maddison 6, Pereira 7, Subs: Albrighton, Oakazaki, Ghezzal
Match Stats: H/A
- Possession: 65 / 35
- Corners: 0 / 4
- Shots on target: 4 / 2
- Shots wide: 8 / 3
- Fouls: 10 / 9
- Offsides: 2 / 1
