MY ACCOUNT
In-form Arsenal moved back into the Premier League’s top four as Thomas Partey and Alexandre Lacazette scored in a 2-0 win over Leicester City.
Partey opened the scoring for Mikel Arteta’s men following a corner, before hitting the angle of post and crossbar during a first half in which Leicester managed just three shots.
Caglar Soyuncu’s handball allowed Lacazette to double the advantage from the penalty spot, sealing another win for one of the Premier League’s strongest current sides.
The result lifted Arsenal back above Manchester United in the table, as they chase a first top-four finish since 2016.
After making a bright start, Arsenal took the lead in the 11th minute, exploiting Leicester’s continued frailty from set-pieces when the unmarked Partey headed in Gabriel Martinelli’s corner.
Spurred on by that, Arsenal twice came close to doubling their advantage in the 18th minute, with Partey curling a fantastic attempt against the goal frame after Granit Xhaka’s shot was blocked at close range.
Home goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale was forced into his first serious save after 35 minutes, acrobatically turning away Harvey Barnes’ flicked header, but Leicester struggled to create chances in a strong opening period for the hosts.
But the Gunners were awarded a penalty after a VAR review just moments later when Soyuncu handled Partey’s header, allowing Lacazette to fire into the top left corner in the 59th minute.
Kieran Tierney denied Barnes with a last-ditch challenge, and Emile Smith Rowe went close from a tight angle, before the Gunners confidently saw out their ninth win in 11 league matches.
What does it mean? Arsenal in fine form at the perfect time
After seeing off the challenge of Leicester, Arsenal have taken 28 points from the last 33 available to them in the Premier League, with no team able to better their return over that period.
Arteta’s men lead top-four rivals Manchester United by a single point in the table, and they also possess three games in hand over the Red Devils as they emerge as favourites for Champions League qualification.
Partey time as Arsenal exploit Foxes’ weakness
Partey’s early header represented the Ghana midfielder’s second goal of the Premier League season, and was an all-too-familiar sight for Brendan Rodgers.
It also underlined Leicester’s dire set-piece record. Excluding penalties, the Foxes have now conceded 15 Premier League goals from set-piece situations this season, the most of any side.
Martinelli improvement continues with assist
After swinging in the corner for Partey’s opener, Martinelli has been directly involved in eight goals in 18 Premier League appearances this season, registering five goals and three assists.
That total represents two more goal improvements than he registered in his first two campaigns in the competition (six goal involvements in 28 appearances).
Key Opta facts
– Arsenal have recorded a Premier League double over Leicester for the first time since the 2015-16 season, when they were the only side to beat them home and away during the Foxes’ title-winning campaign.
– Leicester have now lost five of their last six away games in the Premier League. Their previous five away defeats in the competition had come during a run of 26 away games between September 2020 and December 2021 (W13 D8 L5).
– Arsenal have won their last five Premier League games, joining Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea as the only sides to win five in a row during the 2021-22 campaign. This is the second time the Gunners have won five in succession in the competition under Arteta, having also done so in May 2021.
– Martin Odegaard created six chances for Arsenal in this game – five of those came during the first half, which was the most chances created in the first half of a Premier League game by an Arsenal player since Mesut Ozil against Everton in October 2017 (6).
– Lacazette has converted seven of the eight penalties he has taken for Arsenal in the Premier League.
What’s next?
The Gunners will host Liverpool in a huge Premier League clash on Wednesday, while Leicester turn their attentions to Europe the following day, travelling to Rennes for the second leg of their Europa Conference League tie.
