Arsenal - Leicester City: Jamie Vardy’s late goal sealed three nice points for Leicester City against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
The win gives fourth-place Leicester 12 points, three more than the 10th-place Gunners.
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Vardy’s goal off the bench sealed another impressive result for Leicester, their first win at Arsenal in nearly a half-century and a second win over a traditional power this season.
Arsenal - Leicester City promised goals and excitement and delivered, well, not a lot.
Three things we learned from Arsenal - Leicester City
1. Aubame-slump: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s credentials and effort are not in question but the Gabonese striker is having problems this season.
Aubameyang, 31, scored against Fulham in the PL season opener and then assisted against West Ham but has now gone 360 minutes without a goal involvement. Sunday’s performance included two shots, neither on target, but he showed his world class mind with an absurd back post cross to Hector Bellerin on the game’s best scoring chance (which was defied by Kasper Schmeichel).
2. Old hats Schmeichel, Vardy save the day: Speaking of the Dane, a four-save day included that remarkable reaction stop on Bellerin. He keeps Leicester in matches far more often than he costs them a goal.
And a match that was crying out for better forward play got it when Rodgers introduced recovering Vardy and new boy Cenzig Under. The goal was guided by Youri Tielemans’ terrific long pass, but Under chose a cross to Vardy over a lower percentage shot for himself and the veteran planted it in the goal.
3. Fofana watch: Alright, look, in most matches we wouldn’t have reason to again address the early days of teenage center back Wesley Fofana, but this one had fewer talking points than expected. Leicester has allowed one goal on his three starts, and that marker against Aston Villa had very little to do with him. The small sample size so far says Leicester bought well.
Man of the Match
Dani Ceballos (He types, voice ascending quizzically at the end of the Spaniard’s name)? In the first edition of Partey-Xhaka-Ceballos, it was the Spaniard who delivered the best performance. But we’ll give it to another center midfielder, as Youri Tielemans helped spring the only goal and was at least as effective as Ceballos.
Arsenal - Leicester City recap
The Foxes got very little going in the first half, out shot 11-1, but James Maddison nearly produced a remarkable goal when Bernd Leno’s poor clearance fell to him from about 45 yards.
Arsenal thought it had taken a lead off a corner kick but Granit Xhaka was offside when the set piece was flicked toward the back post.
Bukayo Saka also had a chance to score and Alexandre Lacazette was denied by a sliding Jonny Evans.
Leicester made it to a scoreless halftime. Would Brendan Rodgers turn to a center forward off the bench in returning Jamie Vardy or midweek hero Kelechi Iheanacho?
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Yup. Rodgers took off Dennis Praet for Vardy at the hour mark and eventually had him atop fellow sub Cenzig Under. This is what we call foreshadowing.
David Luiz limped off in the 49th minute, making way for Shkrodan Mustafi.
The goal arrived thanks to Tielemans’ long invitation behind the Arsenal back line, Under running onto it and hitting a cross for Vardy to head into the yawning frame.