Premier League: In-Form Arsenal Gunning for Crucial Win over Foxes

Arsenal vs Leicester City

Arsenal’s hopes of a top-five finish — and a possible Champions League berth — are still alive. The Gunners have recovered from a rocky start to their restart to win three games on the bounce in the Premier League, which includes a massive away victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Arsenal now have another major matchup coming up as they host third-placed Leicester City. The struggling Foxes finally got back to winning ways after beating Crystal Palace.

But their recent slump has allowed Chelsea and Manchester United to close in, which means they are also under pressure to pick up a good result against the Gunners.

Talking Points

Arteta’s moves working for Arsenal

Arsenal had a disastrous beginning to their restart, suffering back-to-back away defeats to Manchester City and Brighton.

But credit to Mikel Arteta, the Gunners have gotten back on track since. They defeated both Southampton in the league and Sheffield United in the FA Cup, then thrashed Norwich 4-0 at home before they defied the Premier League 2020 odds with a big win at Wolves.

Arteta’s decision to change the formation from a back four to a back three has done wonders for Arsenal’s defence.

David Luiz, who was so disastrous after coming on as a substitute against City, has been part of two of the three consecutive clean sheets Arsenal have kept in the league since returning from suspension.

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Arteta has also given Granit Xhaka his place in midfield as the drama involving young midfielder Matteo Guendouzi continues. Xhaka scored in the Gunners’ 4-0 thrashing of Norwich.

Meanwhile, Arsenal have also gotten timely contributions from youngsters Eddie Nketiah, Joseph Willock, Nicolas Pepe, and Bukayo Saka, while veteran strikers Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette continue to find the back of the net.

Aubameyang, who bagged a brace against Norwich, has now scored each of his last six goals at the Emirates.

Arsenal have certainly benefitted from their star striker’s amazing home form; they’ve gone unbeaten in their last six home games in the league, with five wins and a draw.

Foxes finally end winless slump

Leicester City have had a rough restart to the season. After drawing their first two games against Watford and Brighton, they lost to Chelsea in the FA Cup quarter-finals, then lost again away to Everton in the league.

That run of poor Premier League 2020 results has allowed Chelsea and Manchester United to close the gap on them in third place. However, they finally picked up their first win since the restart as they crushed Crystal Palace 3-0 at home.

Kelechi Iheanacho, who got the start alongside Jamie Vardy after scoring in the loss to Everton, put the Foxes in front just after half-time. Vardy then capitalised on a crucial slip by Crystal Palace defender Mamadou Sakho to make it two and added a third goal late in stoppage time.

Vardy is now up to 21 goals on the season, two clear of Arsenal’s Aubameyang for the Premier League lead. The 31-year-old had been struggling mightily since the restart, so this performance should help boost his confidence.

Jamie Vardy is currently the leading top scorer in Premier League with 21 goals — Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy celebrates after scoring against Crystal Palace

Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers decided to play with a back three against Palace, and it will be interesting to see whether he sticks with the same formation to match up better with Arsenal.

Midfielder James Maddison missed out on the Crystal Palace win after a reoccurrence of a hip injury which also saw him miss the FA Cup match against Chelsea. Rodgers may have no choice but to stick with that line-up if Maddison isn’t fit enough to return.

History

Arsenal have historically had the upper hand against Leicester. The two sides have met 27 times since 1994, with Arsenal claiming 16 victories to Leicester’s four, with seven draws.

However, the Foxes have turned the tables in recent years. They’ve won three out of the last four meetings against the Gunners, albeit all three have been at home.

They won their first league meeting of the season 2-0 thanks to second-half goals from Vardy and Maddison. Vardy has an excellent record against Arsenal, scoring nine goals in nine games against them — his most against any Premier League opponent.

Since Leicester’s return to the Premier League in 2014, the home side has won all but three of the last 11 of the meetings between these two teams.

Betting Tip

	Arsenal vs Leicester City	Arsenal Asian Handicap -0.25 @ 2.04
	July 8, 3:15 (GMT+8)

The SBOBET odds for this match are tight. The Gunners are only 2.33 favourites to win at home on the 1X2 market, with Leicester priced at 3.05 to snatch a surprising away win. A draw is 3.20.

Based on recent form coupled with home advantage, the Gunners are the most likely team to win this match. But Leicester also have a lot on the line and will have their tails up after their win.

That’s why I’m taking Arsenal at -0.25 on the Asian Handicap market. In the event of a draw, half of the bet loses, but an Arsenal win would still deliver a worthwhile payout.