What cost Arsenal from picking all three points against Leicester? by SE
Wenger’s men drew against Leicester last night, as they failed to capitalize on Manchester City slipping up at Etihad, on Saturday. A win for Arsenal would have seen them pip, both Man City and Liverpool, to 3rd place in the embryonic Barclays Premier League table. But what cost Arsenal from picking all three points against a spirited Leicester side?
Talking Points
In what was a lively start to the game, Arsenal looked the likelier of the two teams, to go ahead, which they managed to, in the 20th minute of the game. It was a beautifully worked maneuver, with Cazorla’s chipped pass, over the Leicester backline, finding Sanogo who squirted it to Sanchez to tuck home from close range.
A couple of minutes later, the Gunners relinquished their 1-goal lead when a quick break from the Foxes saw Schlupp, on the Left-Wing, pick out an inviting cross for Ulloa, who headed in seamlessly.
Post Leicester’s equalizer, Arsenal did create plenty more chances; but it was not convincing enough from the North Londoners, who, now, will regret drawing their second league game in a row.
Coming to the analysis,
Playing Sanogo up top was a gamble, which didn’t pay off. It would be delusional, however, to pinpoint the Frenchman’s profligacy for Arsenal failing to win the game.
Ozil continues to disappoint, as he played as a Right-Winger and failed to create a single outright chance. To put things into perspective: The German playmaker has made just 1 assist in his last 9 Premier League outings for the Gunners.
It is one thing about the player not performing to the levels expected of him; it’s also the duty of the gaffer to identify ways of affecting the game positively. Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, who, for me, has been one of the most impressive players for Arsenal, was underused last night. The young Englishman should have replaced the German at the hour mark at best, which would have injected extra pace into the Arsenal lineup.
Passing, which is supposed to be one of Arsenal’s strength, wasn’t at its incisive best – it was slow and unthreatening.
Not to be too critical of Ramsey but the Welshman has looked a bit slow and unlike his usual self, in the last couple of games. I thought that if he could have done a lot more of what Cazorla managed to, Arsenal might have had that extra penetration. Leicester’s backline was stretched, over the course of 90 minutes, but Arsenal didn’t do enough to find a way through. Ramsey is a vital cog in the Gunners’ lineup, and when he’s not at his best, it’s hard for them to create openings.
To remind everybody out there: Arsenal ‘might’ need a Defensive Midfielder, but the goals conceded by them are not a direct result of the lack of one. It is due to defensive weakness that Arsenal keep conceding goals, despite boasting of one of the most established Center-Back partnership in the Premiership.
Final Thought
Arsenal didn’t move the ball quick enough; they also didn’t have the legs to fashion a chance or two when the game was heading into its latter stages. Apart from that, Wenger’s wizards didn’t do an awful lot wrong, and we would be mad to not give Leicester enough credit for thwarting Arsenal and garnering a point of their own