Arsenal defeated Leicester City 1-0 to keep their top four hopes alive.
You’d think a game between Arsenal and the reigning champions at the business end of the season would be a sell-out, but that wasn’t the case tonight. There were plenty of empty seats at the Emirates and the atmosphere was extremely flat for the majority of the game.
The Gunners needed a victory this evening if they wanted to have any chance of finishing in the top four and qualifying for the Champions League next season. Arsene Wenger’s men sat seven points off fourth-placed Manchester City heading into tonight’s contest, and with City facing arch-rivals Manchester United at the weekend, this provided an excellent opportunity to close the gap.
The home side dominated possession and had the most attempts at goal, but playing on the back-foot was the foundation of Leicester’s success in the Premier League last season. They pulled it off effectively again tonight.
That was until the Gunners were handed a huge slice of luck. Nacho Monreal struck towards goal and the ball cannoned off Robert Huth, past Kasper Schmeichel and into the back of the net. What a crucial goal that could be in the race for top four.
It finished 1-0 to Arsenal, and they are now just three points behind fifth place Manchester United. Leicester, on the other hand, could be in big trouble. Here are our player ratings for both sides.
Arsenal player ratings: Cech 6, Gabriel 6, Koscielny 6, Monreal 5, Bellerin 5, Coquelin 2, Xhaka 8, Gibbs 5, Ozil 5, Walcott 4, Alexis 3.
Leicester City player ratings: Schmeichel 7, Simpson 6, Benalouane 5, Huth 7, Fuchs 6, Mahrez 5, Ndidi 8, Drinkwater 8, Albrighton 5, Ulloa 5, Vardy 6.