First-half goals from Theo Walcott and Laurent Koscielny helped Arsenal beat Leicester City 2-1 in the Premier League on Tuesday evening.
The visitors had one back through Andrej Kramaric just past the hour, but Nigel Pearson's side, who remain bottom of the table, could not find a leveller despite some excellent chances.
Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two Premier League rivals.
Match statistics
ARSENAL
Shots: 17
On target: 7
Possession: 57%
Corners: 6
Fouls: 13
LEICESTER
Shots: 11
On target: 4
Possession: 43%
Corners: 6
Fouls: 15
Was the result fair?
One look at the statistics will show that Arsenal dominated all of the major areas, but Leicester will feel that they deserved something from the match and they would have a very strong point indeed. In truth, Arsenal were a touch fortunate to be 2-0 ahead at the break, with poor Leicester defending contributing to both goals. The Foxes were the better side for long spells of the second half, however, and had a goal back through recent signing Kramaric just past the hour.
Kramaric had another golden chance in the second period, but could not beat David Ospina, while Riyad Mahrez also had a couple of excellent opportunities. It wasn't to be for Pearson's side, however, with the result leaving them rooted to the bottom of the table. Arsenal were looking for a response from their defeat at Spurs on Saturday and in truth, the result was the important part at the Emirates. Arsene Wenger will be counting his blessings following the match.
Arsenal's performance
Wenger recalled the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Walcott to his XI and it certainly paid off in the first period, with the former causing a number of problems and the latter finding the back of the net. The Gunners led 2-0 at the break, but it was harsh on Leicester, who started much the better and had opportunities to open their tally for the evening. Defensively, there were some problems throughout the match, with Per Mertesacker caught out on a number of occasions and goalkeeper Ospina hardly covering himself in glory during what was a shaky second-half display from the Colombian.
It was a disappointing performance overall, but the points stayed in North London, which was vital in terms of the race for the top four. The win might have come at a cost, however, with Sanchez leaving the field with an injury in the second period and Aaron Ramsey also departing less than 10 minutes after entering as a second-half substitute. In the end, Arsenal had to rely on some poor finishing from the visitors to claim the points, but it was another win nonetheless.
Leicester's performance
Leicester are still bottom of the table following another defeat here, but there is no question that Pearson can take positives from the performance. At times this season, the Foxes have lacked the character to get themselves out of certain situations, but that was not the case at the Emirates. They started with a 5-4-1 formation, but the likes of Jeffrey Schlupp and Mahrez were always prepared to join lone forward Kramaric, who scored his first goal in English football. Esteban Cambiasso also turned back the clock with a super midfield performance, which is another big positive for the Foxes.
After going 2-0 behind, it would have been easy to fold and earlier in the season, that might have happened. However, Leicester showed that they were ready for the fight and as discussed, they deserved something from the match. Robert Huth and Matthew Upson both looked solid after coming into the back four, while Pearson now has a number of options in attack. As it stands, they are five points from safety, but more performances of this ilk will aid their hopes of survival.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Riyad Mahraz: This is not a difficult decision. The 23-year-old has recently returned from international duty with Algeria, but he got straight back into the swing of things here. Arsenal just could not live with the midfielder, who had at least three golden chances during what was an excellent performance. His finishing certainly needs some work, but his pace and direct running contributed to what was a strong Leicester display in North London.
Biggest gaffe
Leicester hardly covered themselves in glory when defending Arsenal's two goals, but the home side's defending for Leicester's consolation was terrible. The Gunners had plenty of opportunities to clear the danger, but failed to do so. Eventually, Kramaric whipped one into the bottom corner from a difficult angle and the comeback seemed on. Ultimately, Arsenal's defending did not cost them in terms of points, but it is still an ongoing concern at this stage of the season.
Referee performance
In truth, referee Mike Jones had a fairly routine match. The official did not issue a single booking in the first period, but that number did rise to four in the second half. Both teams had a couple of penalty shouts, but Jones was not interested. Overall, the Englishman was not seen for long spells, which is always a good sign for a referee.
What next?
Arsenal: The Gunners are in FA Cup fifth-round action on Sunday as they welcome in-form Championship side Middlesbrough to the Emirates. They return to league action away to Crystal Palace on February 21.
Leicester: The Foxes are also in FA Cup action on Sunday, with Pearson's side making the trip to Aston Villa. Their next league match is away to Everton on February 22.
Matt Law
