Leicester v Arsenal preview: Table toppers keen to trot past Foxes
It was the manner of defeat which was perhaps most surprising after Leicester had netted eight goals in their two prior games.
Boss Brendan Rodgers looked ahead to this home return in the aftermath, stating that the “supporters will be right up for it” against league leaders Arsenal.
The Foxes will need their twelfth man as they look to end a rotten four-game losing run of top-flight H2Hs against the Gunners, a streak that means they could lose five in a row for the first time in 91 years!
Even if they hit the ground running in the contest, Leicester can ill afford to rest on their laurels given no side has lost more Premier League (PL) games from winning positions this season (W7, D2, L5).
That stat plays into Arsenal’s hands, who have won a joint PL-high four games from losing positions (W4, L3)!
The most recent of those comeback victories came in the last round as the Gunners had to muster two equalisers before hitting a pair of goals in stoppage time to regain a two-point cushion at the peak of the table with a game in hand over Manchester City.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta praised the “character and quality” of his men following that victory before attention swiftly turned to notching up a tenth away win in one PL season for only the second time in their last eight campaigns (W9, D1, L2).
What’s more, seven of those nine victories came with multi-goal margins, so don’t expect Arsenal to take their foot off the gas should they take a lead.
Players to watch: Jamie Vardy hasn’t had the most prolific league season for Leicester (G1, A4), yet he’s scored more PL goals against Arsenal (G11) than any other side. Trying to outdo him will be Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka, who is on the brink of his 50th PL goal involvement for the club at just 21 years old (G26, A23).
Hot stat: Leicester haven’t won any of their last 18 top-flight games against league-leading sides (D2, L16).
