We are now past the halfway point of the season, and Arsenal have a two-point lead over Manchester City with a game in hand. From the many Gooners I’ve talked with, they are more than excited about the rest of the season. For them, challenging for a title this season wasn’t expected. They are ahead of schedule. They have improved defensively, added key pieces to the midfield, and their younger players have seemingly taken that next step. With Manchester City having to balance their Champions League schedule and Arsenal likely putting Europa on the back burner, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see Arsenal win the Premier League title this season.
Leicester City vs. Arsenal (Saturday, 10 a.m. ET)
Three-way Moneyline: Leicester City (+370) | Draw (+370) | Arsenal (-145)
Leicester City host Arsenal in a match that is seen as one where getting a result is mandatory for both teams. Leicester City are in a relegation battle while being just four points clear of 18. They are 2-2-1 in their last five and now should have the services of James Maddison, who is almost fully fit after sustaining a knee injury. Brendan Rodgers might have a full squad, but they will have their hands full against the league leaders.
I’ve already bet Arsenal team total over 1.5 (-140) earlier in the week. Since then, that price has skyrocketed. Another bet I added to my card this weekend is Bukayo Saka 1+ Left Footed Shot on Target (-105). That bet can be found on FanDuel Sportsbook.
This match will likely be won in the midfield. It’s a midfield of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Nampalys Mendy, and Youri Tielemans against Granit Xhaka, Jorginho, and Martin Odegaard. My money is on the later to control the game. Should Thomas Partey be fit for this fixture, it’s not even a question for me. Possession in this match should be close to 50/50, with a possible slight edge going toward the visitors. With whatever possession Arsenal have, they should be able to make the most of it. Leicester City are one of the worst in the Premier League in allowing final-third carries by their opponent.
With Arsenal getting a good amount of possession deep inside Leicester’s defending half, they should be able to get a lot of shots up. Through 11 matches this season, Leicester allow 10.9 shots per game at King Power Stadium. Arsenal should surpass this number, with Saka taking a fair share of his. Saka is averaging 2.76 shots per 90 minutes. He’s had a shot on target in his last three and five of his previous eight. With most of Saka’s shots coming from his left, this is an excellent opportunity to cut down the heavily juiced shot-on-target number.
Honestly, you might as well put a few dollars on Saka to score as well.
Bukayo Saka 1+ Left Footed Shot on Target (-105)
