It seems remarkable that after 25 games, Leicester City sit atop the Premier League standings looking down on the rest of the chasing pack in the most unpredictable season since its inception 24 years ago.
But to be fair, the Foxes, having lost just two matches all year, are thoroughly deserving of their current status, and Saturday’s stunning 3-1 win against highly-fancied Manchester City at the Ethiad opened up a five-point gap at the league summit. Victory enhanced their credentials as the unlikeliest of champions and further solidified the unwavering belief within the squad that the club is ready to rewrite the history books and complete what would be one of the greatest fairytale stories in sporting history.
After passing the Liverpool and Manchester City tests with flying colours, Leicester go into the final leg of their testing run of fixtures when they travel to another fellow title aspirant, Arsenal on Sunday, in what shapes as a season-defining clash for both sides.
The Gunners got back to winning ways on Sunday with a timely 2-0 victory against Bournemouth, snapping a run of four games without a win and 347 minutes without finding the net. The much needed three points is the ideal tonic in building some sort of momentum ahead of the visit of the league leaders in a duel that is seen as a must win for the home side.
An Arsenal win would cut the deficit to just two points while a Foxes triumph would see their lead blow out to eight points. While not insurmountable, it would seem highly unlikely to reign in with just 12 games remaining and some difficult away assignments in the coming weeks for the North Londoners.
Leicester’s ultra-impressive performance over City was one of the best this season from any team as they ruthlessly exploited a lethargic and disorganised Citizens outfit that never looked at the races.
If the Gunners are to halt Leicester’s title charge and, in the process, send out a statement of intent in their quest to become champions for the first time since 2004, they must take note of City’s tactical naivety and physical shortcomings while nullifying Leicester’s strengths in attack.
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Beware Leicester’s counter-attacking prowess
The Foxes’ lightning fast breaks have been the hallmark of their incredible campaign, led by the irresistible duo of Jamie Vardy and Ryiad Mahrez, who have tormented defences across the country with their direct running, trickery and ruthlessness in front of goal.
Claudio Ranieri has operated with what was deemed as an outdated 4-4-2 formation with most teams opting with the customary 4-2-3-1 system. Ranieri’s brave tactical ploy has been performed to perfection by his players as they remain compact with two banks of four, happily conceding possession to their opponent before breaking with devastating effect.
This was no more evident then Leicester’s second goal as N’Golo Kante retrieved possession in typically robust fashion before playing in Mahrez, who skipped through a catalogue of missed tackles before emphatically lashing the ball past Joe Hart to double the visitors’ advantage.
When Kante distributed the ball to Mahrez, Leicester found themselves in a three-on-three situation at the back with acres of space to run into, a situation in which Mahrez is at his most dangerous. The warning signs were evident earlier in the match when a simple diagonal cross-field ball found Vardy in an isolated one-on-one situation against a sluggish Martin Demichelis.
In the past, Arsenal have been prone to being caught cold on the counter-attack, courtesy of their full-backs being caught too high up the pitch and their central-midfielders’ undisciplined positional sense, exposing their defence to one-on-one situations, either with a simple ball to get in behind the defence or the space to cause havoc with no protection from the midfield.
It is imperative that Arsene Wenger recalls Francis Coquelin into the starting lineup at the expense of Mathieu Flamini, who is seen as a major weak link that Ranieri’s men could expose.
Coquelin is incomparable to the rest of his midfield counterparts from a defensive sense and is far superior athletically to Flamini, making him more likely to cope with negating Leicester’s fast breaks. The Gunners must keep their defensive shape and work tirelessly off the ball to extinguish any potential break aways that they encounter.
Deal with Leicester’s threat from set pieces
Through their rugged centre-back partnership of Wes Morgan and Robert Huth, Leicester have two imposing targets to aim at inside the six-yard box, and City’s defensive frailties from set pieces were exploited as Huth helped himself to memorable double, firstly from a Mahrez free kick before virtually killing the contest off with his second and the team’s third with a towering header via pin-point delivery from Christian Fuchs. .
Arsenal possess the second-best defensive record in the league, conceding just 22 goals so far this season with 27.3% of those goals coming from set pieces. That stacks up better than City’s 39.1% which indicates they should be better equipped to deal with the aerial presence of the the German.
Wenger has a decision to make as to whether to keep faith in Gabriel Paulista or replace him with Per Mertesacker, who found himself on the bench at the weekend after serving his one-match ban. The German has the clear height advantage to deal with the threat of Huth but with Gabriel in the side, the Gunners have only conceded one goal this term.
Gabriel has shown he is capable in the air but he also possesses fleet of foot, meaning he is more likely to cope with Leicester’s swift transitions between defence and attack. The Brazilian has had to contend with being third choice behind Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny since joining the club in the winter of 2015, but he now has a great opportunity to firmly cement his place in the heart of Arsenal’s defence with another solid showing.
Match Leicester’s desire and hunger
With modern-day football dominated by money and greed, Leicester have all the qualities that money simply cannot buy: passion, teamwork, desire and heart. The Foxes are a breath of fresh air, punching above their weight against teams with limitless budgets.
Leicester’s team cost a mere £21 million and they are proving that you do not need to spend astronomical amounts of money to be successful in the English game. The Foxes are not just outplaying their opponents by showcasing the superior football and outsmarting their foes tactically, but they are also out-fighting and out-lasting their opposition with the sheer will to work until the final whistle.
You just know that Ranieri’s men will be ready to fight fire with fire on Sunday, and Arsenal will need to match the visitors in that department. City were not up for it and the result reflected the two teams’ contrasting attitudes, with the Foxes winning every 50/50 ball and showing desperation at the back to keep the home side at bay.
The Gunners must be prepared physically and mentally for a war of attrition on Sunday, especially in midfield with Kante and Danny Drinkwater, who epitomise the Foxes’ selfless team first ethos. The unsung Frenchman has been one of the signings of the season taking to the English game like a duck to water, recording the most tackles and interceptions in the league thus far.
These numbers make the case even stronger to select Coquelin, to match Kante’s combativeness in the middle of the park. Arsenal have shown in recent times they are a more rounded team, combining their fluid football with grit and graft. It will be a case of who wants it more Sunday – Wenger’s men should gear themselves up for a battle.
Be quick out of the blocks
City fell behind with just three minutes on the clock as the early goal set the tone for the remainder of the contest. The home side was shellshocked and it embodied its sloppy defensive display.
Arsenal have been slow starters themselves in recent times, often waiting until the second half to finally show some much needed urgency in their passing game. The Gunners’ blueprint for fast starts was their 3-0 demolition of Manchester United, where they scored three goals inside 20 devastating minutes.
For whatever reason, Wenger’s side has not been able to replicate this whirlwind start. But this weekend would be the ideal time to come out with a real purpose to assert themselves early on in such an important match.
The atmosphere inside the Emirates Stadium can at times be pensive and apprehensive, but a fast Gunners start would really get the fans going and put Leicester on the back foot from the outset.
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