Arsenal v Leicester City – Preview, Predictions, and Best Bets

Arsenal face Leicester The Gunners have won nine of their last 11 league matches, while The Foxes have drawn their last three fixtures. Arsenal have also won their last five EPL clashes with Leicester.

Arsenal Form

Arsenal ended last season with six consecutive wins and remain unbeaten this season. They started with a 2-0 win against Wolves on the opening day, followed by an impressive 2-0 victory at Aston Villa in round two. A 1-1 home draw against Brighton with ten men came next. Arsenal then faced three tough matches where they adopted a more defensive approach.

They won 1-0 at Tottenham despite being outshot 15-7. A 0-0 draw at Atalanta followed, with only six shots from Mikel Arteta’s side. Last Sunday, Arsenal conceded a late goal with ten men to draw 2-2 at Man City, being outshot 28-1 in the second half. On Wednesday, they eased some pressure with a 5-1 win over Bolton in the Carabao Cup.

Arsenal Team News

Arteta will be without Mikel Merino and Martin Odegaard in midfield, but Leandro Trossard is available after suspension. Oleksandr Zinchenko and Takehiro Tomiyasu are both ruled out in defence.

Ben White and David Raya are expected to shake off minor injuries and be available. Arsenal may consider starting Raheem Sterling over Gabriel Martinelli. There is also a temptation to hand 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri a start in midfield after his brace against Bolton.

Arsenal Motivation

Arsenal will see nothing less than a win and a strong performance as acceptable.

After playing defensively in recent matches, expect the team to adopt a more open and creative approach for this one.

Leicester Form

The Foxes were promoted as Championship winners last season, but life back in the top-flight has been more challenging. They fought back to earn a 1-1 draw at home against Tottenham in their opener, followed by a 2-1 loss at Fulham. A 4-0 thrashing of Tranmere Rovers in the Carabao Cup provided some relief.

Leicester were outplayed in a 2-1 home loss to Aston Villa, then surrendered a 2-0 lead at Crystal Palace in a match that coach Steve Cooper said, “felt like a defeat.” They took another point last week with a 1-1 draw against Everton. A third consecutive draw in midweek (0-0 at Walsall) was followed by a win on penalties.

Leicester Team News

Jannick Vestergaard is ruled out in defense, while striker Patson Daka and goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk are also unavailable. Steve Cooper made ten changes in midweek, and most of those players will return.

Facundo Buonanotte is competing with Bilal El Khannous for the number ten role. Another option is to start Oliver Skipp as a third combative midfielder. Jamie Vardy is expected to lead the line over Odsonne Edouard.

Leicester Motivation

The Foxes will likely take a pragmatic approach under Steve Cooper, who has experience in relegation battles.

They will aim to frustrate Arsenal and stay in the game, hoping to steal a point. If trailing, minimizing the loss could become a priority.

Key Stats

Arsenal have won 9 of their last 11 league matches (2 draws).

Arsenal have scored 29 goals in their last 11 home league matches.

Leicester have lost their last 5 matches against Arsenal.

Leicester are winless in their last 4 matches in all competitions (LDDD).

Verdict

Arsenal should have too much for Leicester in this match. The Gunners look solid defensively, so a win to nil or backing the handicap appears to be the best option.