After Arsenal thumped the previously unbeaten Leicester City 5-2 back in September it seemed normal service had resumed for the Foxes, who were then still thankful to have kept their Premier League status.
No one in their wildest dreams would of expected Leicester to have only lost just once since that Autumn afternoon at the King Power Stadium, and this Sunday they have the chance to take another giant step towards their first league title when they travel to the capital to take on the Gunners, who find themselves in a must win scenario themselves to stay afloat in this fascinating title tussle.
It really is a ‘Super Sunday’ no matter which way you look at it, a game set to be a season defining encounter for both teams. The home side recorded a vital 2-0 victory over Bournemouth last Sunday to stay in touch with the Foxes, who pulled off an astounding 3-1 win away at Manchester City to open up a five point gap at the summit of the league table.
Leicester are thriving in this most uncommon of situations, setting the pace in the title race against there more fancied opponents by playing a fearless, tenacious and dynamic style of football under re-born Italian boss Claudio Ranieiri. They will again be tested against an Arsenal side who are just about at full strength and with virtually their season on a knives edge.
A win for either side would be an enormous statement of intent to their fellow championship contenders and could have major psychological ramifications, which could potentially see their season’s veer off in differing directions.
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Key Battle – Mesut Ozil vs N’Golo Kante
In a match filled with intriguing duels right across the pitch, such as Jaime Vardy against Laurent Koscielny and Ryiad Mahrez against Nacho Monreal, the Ozil vs Kante battle will be one of contrasting styles – the grace and guile of the German against the tenacity and power of the Frenchman.
Ozil’s creative statistics are quite simply superb as he leads the Premier League for assists (16) and chances created (99), while Kante has been equally as destructive, screening the Leicester back four tirelessly alongside his partner in crime Danny Drinkwater, topping the pops for tackles (102) and interceptions (103). Here lies the facts as to why this will be such a critical match-up in determining who goes home with the priceless three points.
The World Cup winner is seen as the barometer for this Arsenal side, he single-handedly dictates the tempo at which the Gunners play at, while also having the incredible vision and awareness when bringing his fellow teammates into the game.
Ozil will come into the match in a good headspace after netting his fourth goal of the campaign at the Vitality Stadium, and on such a big occasion in what is now crunch time for the club in terms of their title aspirations, he will be required to produce a solid performance we know the 27-year-old is capable of.
Kante has become a monster for Leicester in central-midfield, covering an enormous amount of territory in Ranieri’s 4-4-2 system and proving to be one of the most inspired bits of business we have seen in the Premier League era. At the Emirates, the home side will predictably dominate possession and Ozil will be at the forefront, looking to get into pockets of space and slide passes in behind the Leicester back four.
The 24-year-old will be the pivotal figure in shackling Ozil’s influence while initiating brisk counter-attacks, similar to the way he broke up play and got the ball rolling for the Foxes’ second goal against Manchester City last Saturday.
Team News
Arsene Wenger confirmed Arsenal will go into Sunday’s clash with a similar squad to the one that travelled to the South Coast, with the major selection dilemma being whether to continue with Gabriel along side Kosielny in the heart of the Gunners defence, or recall German Per Mertesacker, who lost his place to the Brazilian last Sunday after serving his one match suspension.
It is also expected that Francis Coquelin will return to the starting lineup at the expense of Mathieu Flamini. Coquelin has become indispensable as Arsenal’s chief midfield destroyer, and his inclusion will be timely boost in what will be a bruising encounter against a physical Leicester line.
There are no fresh injury concerns for Ranieri’s men, with only Matty James (knee) and Jeffrey Schlupp (hamstring) currently sidelined. Leicester will continue in their customary 4-4-2 formation, with the same 11 soldiers from last weekend’s boil over at the Ethiad.
Previous Meeting
An Alexis Sanchez hat-trick was the catalyst behind Arsenal’s pulsating 5-2 win over Leicester back in September.
Jamie Vardy opened the scoring and Theo Walcott restored parity for the visitors, before the Chilean took the game by the scruff of the neck, registering his first treble in Arsenal colours to put the game beyond doubt.
Vardy pulled another one back for the home side, yet Olivier Giroud put the finishing touches on what was a five star performance from the Gunners.
Head-to-head
Arsenal hold the upper-hand in the head-to-head history, winning on 62 occasions compared to Leicester’s 28, with 44 draws in between. The Gunners have a terrific record against the Foxes in the Premier League, era having won 12 and lost none in their past 18 encounters.
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Prediction
It is crunch time for both of these sides, maybe more so for Arsenal who cannot afford many more slip-ups with just 12 games remaining. A five point deficit could potentially turn to eight on Sunday if Leicester were to cause another upset, meaning it could be the fatal knockout blow in the Gunners’ title aspirations.
The pressure does not seem to be fazing the Foxes, in fact it is the complete opposite, they are thriving in being the hunted, which sometimes cannot be said about Arsenal, who are still renowned to press the self destruct button when the heat is on.
From a tactical sense, the scenario is set up perfectly for the visitors to implement their devastating counter-attacking excellence by soaking up the home side’s territorial dominance before looking to hit them on the break with the likes of Vardy and Mahrez haring away into space.
The Gunners have the firepower and the star quality to hurt Leicester going forward, the question is whether they can remain disciplined and avoid being run ragged going the other way. The Foxes know if they come out of this match unscathed that a favorable draw awaits them in the run in. A draw will further capitulate their title charge will denting Arsenal’s chances in what should be a cracking contest.
Arsenal 2 Leicester City 2
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