Arsenal waltzed to a fifth straight Premier League win to move back into fourth place as goals from Thomas Partey and Alexandre Lacazette secured a routine 2-0 win against Leicester.
The Gunners were tasked with matching fourth-place rivals Manchester United’s result on Saturday after the Red Devils beat Tottenham at Old Trafford, and were rarely threatened by a Leicester side that has stuttered all season.
Partey’s near-post header from a Gabriel Martinelli corner just 11 minutes put the Gunners in control.
And while Harvey Barnes twice tested goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, it was no surprise when Arsenal doubled their from the penalty spot in the second half.
More from Football
Lacazette stepped up to convert after referee Anthony Taylor looked, looked and looked again at the VAR monitor for a Caglar Soyuncu handball that prevented Partey heading into an open goal. The official eventually pointed to the spot and Lacazette obliged.
Arsenal player ratings
Aaron Ramsdale – 8
Made himself big to deny Barnes in the first half and also tipped a header from the playmaker over the crossbar
Cedric – 6
Had a tricky afternoon against Barnes but Saka mucked in to cover the flank. A steady, albeit not dazzling, performance.
Ben White – 7
Rarely stretched and communicated well with Gabriel to handle the Leicester forward line. Always had the option to distribute sideways of forward to Partey. A routine display.
Gabriel – 8
A strong performance from the centre-back required to do the most of the running between him and White. Rarely troubled.
Kieran Tierney – 7
A typically solid performance from an attack-minded left-back who brings stability to a team that can, on occasion, crumple under pressure.
Thomas Partey – 8
Got the early goal with a near-post header from Martinelli’s corner and controlled the midfield alongside Xhaka. Hit the post with a long-range effort and would have scored a second had Soyuncu’s arm not got in the way.
Granit Xhaka – 6
Was lucky to avoid being booked for catching a ball that was going out of play before it had crossed the line. This sort of erraticism bewilders Arsenal fans, but he was otherwise solid enough in midfield.
Bukayo Saka – 7
Not quite his impish best on a day where Leicester sat deep but tested Schmeichel and did his pressing work diligently
Martin Odegaard – 9
Controlled Arsenal’s forward momentum and was there to sneak into gaps between the Foxes midfielders.
Gabriel Martinelli – 7
Was always on hand to find a teammate and pick the Leicester lock, even though it was Odegaard who did most of the intricate play when camped around the Foxes box.
Alexandre Lacazette – 7
Was comfortable again playing the central striker role and dropped deep when required to get the Arsenal engine running.
from Football | News and analysis from the Premier League and beyond | iNews https://ift.tt/67a3nhj
Post a Comment