Arsenal strengthened their hold on the top four as they swept aside Leicester City to make it five wins in a row in the Premier League.
As the full-time whistle sounded at the Emirates Stadium, Arteta looked to the sky with clenched fists to celebrate a dominant 2-0 victory over Brendan Rodgers Leicester City.
The victory was the fifth successive triumph in the Premier League for the Gunners, and with three games in hand over their closest rivals, Champions League football looks set to return to the Emirates for the first time since their miserable 10-2 aggregate defeat to German giants Bayern Munich in 2017.
Mikel Arteta wouldn’t get drawn into talk of a top four finish too soon however, when he said in his post-match press conference: ”We look at the table and we know where we are but we have to look forward and focus on our performances and prepare for the next game. The rest would be us just guessing and I don’t want to gamble, I’m not a great gambler.”
Thomas gets the Partey started
Arsenal started strong, as has been the theme of a number of their Premier League fixtures this season. When Thomas Partey flicked home an Arsenal corner after just 11 minutes, the home fans were celebrating their ninth goal in the opening 20 minutes of a Premier League game this season.
The Gunners took advantage of Leicester City’s less than impressive record from set pieces, with Partey’s goal the 12th they’ve conceded from a corner this season.
Ramsdale to the Rescue
Despite early dominance, Arsenal would still need to call upon the heroics of Aaron Ramsdale as the half drew to a close. When Harvey Barnes connected with Marc Albrighton’s left-footed cross, the Leicester wide forward looked to have levelled the game. Ramsdale got across and hooked the ball behind, with Brendan Rodgers mouthing the word ‘wow’ on the touchline as he turned away in disbelief.
Arsenal’s Champions League bid has been built on the success of their younger players, with the 23-year-old Ramsdale being a key part of this.
Having signed from relegated Sheffield United last summer, the signing of Ramsdale raised more than a few eyebrows. His performances this season however have totally justified the belief that manager Mikel Arteta has had in him. With 12 clean sheets to his name, Ramsdale finds himself behind only Alisson and Ederson for shut outs this campaign.
| Goalkeeper | Games Played | Clean Sheets |
| Ederson (Man City) | 28 | 15 |
| Alisson (Liverpool) | 27 | 15 |
| Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal) | 24 | 12 |
| Edouard Mendy (Chelsea) | 24 | 11 |
Ramsdale’s latest heroics will serve as a timely reminder to England Manager Gareth Southgate, who will name his squad for the upcoming international fixtures against Switzerland and Ivory Coast on Thursday.
Ramsdale has only one appearance under his belt for England. That came in a 0-10 drubbing of San Marino, but with Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers calling him England’s best current goalkeeper, you would expect him to make more before his career is out.
HALF TIME: ARSENAL 1-0 LEICESTER CITY
The Ramsdale save was the only real time that Arsenal would have felt in danger throughout the game. They took back control as the second half resumed, restricting Leicester to little of the ball en route to doubling their lead.
When Arsenal full back Kieran Tierney whipped a cross into the middle, Leicester’s defence were flapping once again from a set piece. Schmeichel’s save from Ben White’s header was only to be diverted to Partey, whose header would brush the fingertips of Calgar Soyuncu prior to Luke Thomas hooking it off the line. Anthony Taylor would head over to the monitor following a VAR intervention, before pointing to the spot.
Leicester Manager Brendan Rodgers would explain his disappointment at the decision post-match, saying: ”I’m disappointed with the penalty, it’s so soft. Soyuncu is reacting, he’s moving his body and he can’t move his body like a mannequin so we’re hugely disappointed.”
Laca sets Arsenal on the way to three points
Despite Rodgers’ disappointment, Lacazette dispatched the penalty high into the top left-hand corner to double Arsenal’s lead. This was Lacazette’s fourth goal in the Premier League this season and his first in nine league matches.
Lacazette has taken on the mantle of becoming Arsenal’s first choice striker following the departure of Aubameyang to Barcelona. Whilst the best number nines in world football are known for their goals, there are an increasing number of false nines in the game that are sacrificing their attacking output to serve the needs of the team.
Lacazette is an example of one of those attackers. Much like Harry Kane at Spurs or Roberto Firmino at Liverpool, Lacazette will drop deep into midfield, creating space behind him that allows Arsenal’s wide players the room to run in behind. Despite only five touches in the Leicester penalty area, including the penalty kick, Lacazette has become a key component of the Arsenal attack that is guiding them towards a top four finish.
FULL TIME: Arsenal 2-0 LEICESTER CITY
| Arsenal | Leicester City | |
| Possession | 46% | 54% |
| Shots On Target | 8 | 3 |
| Shots Off Target | 13 | 3 |
| Corners | 2 | 6 |
| Expected Goals | 3.13 | 0.55 |
The Arsenal run-in – 12 games to go
Arsenal would see out the remainder of the game with relative ease, preserving energy ahead of their clash with title challenging Liverpool on Wednesday night.
The momentum in the race for top four is very much with Arsenal heading into the final two months of the season. With three games in hand over nearest challengers Manchester United and West Ham United, the Gunners not only have the games in hand but also the points on the board.
The three games in hand Arsenal have are difficult fixtures. With Liverpool first up on Wednesday evening, visits to local rivals Spurs and Chelsea are also on the agenda before the 2021/22 Premier League season comes to a close.
Only Liverpool boasts a better run of form than Arsenal in the Premier League, winning each of their last eight games as opposed to five in a row that Arsenal have won.
Wednesday’s game will not decide Arsenal’s final league position for the 2021/22 campaign, but the momentum that could be built off the back of a victory over title challenging Liverpool could go a long way to them securing a place in the top four and a return to Champions League football for the 2022/23 season.
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