And that’s all from me. Bye!
Leicester claimed their first away win over Arsenal in any competition since 1973 thanks to Jamie Vardy’s late header
Sun 25 Oct 2020 17.30 EDT
First published on Sun 25 Oct 2020 14.15 EDTLive feed
Nick Ames has filed his match report from the Emirates Stadium:
Perhaps, to save everybody’s time, the first 80 minutes of a tight affair might have been forsaken. The one sure thing about a meeting between Leicester and Arsenal is that Jamie Vardy will score and he did not disappoint, even though he had only half an hour to make an impact here.
Vardy had started among the substitutes, a calf injury having ruled him out for the previous fortnight, but as soon as he emerged the complexion changed. Leicester had absorbed a vigorous first half from Arsenal and perhaps it was part of Brendan Rodgers’ plan that, having done so, they could win this game from the bench.
That is exactly what happened and Vardy was not the only replacement to make that so. Cengiz Under had barely touched the ball when he was released by Youri Tielemans’ exemplary deep pass and, running into the right of the box, had to decide whether to pass or shoot. His choice, a clipped cross onto Vardy’s head, was perfect and the finish emphatic. It was Vardy’s 11th Premier League goal against Arsenal, maintained Leicester’s perfect away record, gave them their first win at Arsenal since 1973 and took them into fourth spot, while perpetuating the questions about the hosts’ ability to break teams down.
Much more here:
The only teams Arsenal are outshooting this season are Newcastle, West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace.
You don’t get a lot of post-match analysis with Sky PPV, do you? They seem to have already lapsed into a state of permanent adbreakery.
Jamie Vardy is having a party chat with Sky:
We had a gameplan from the start. We’ve weathered a bit of a storm but then started getting into it, and we’ve come away with a win. It’s big for us but it’s just the next game where we want to keep improving. We’ve had a couple of bad results and we wanted to put that right in the league. We spoke yesterday, it was always the plan, coming back from a biggle, you don’t want to be chucked straight into it. Luckily I’ve come on and made an impact. It gives us a little boost. Last two games in the league have not been good enough but to come here and put in a performance like we have is great for the team. We’ve just got to build on that now.
Arsenal were done like the proverbial kipper there. Leicester defended in numbers, were a bit lucky on a couple of occasions in the first half, but they had players on the bench capable of changing the game, and that’s what they did. This was not what of the Gunners’ good days, but rely on Xhaka in defence at your peril, and having also been very solid for most of the game they collapsed for the goal like a jelly in a sauna.
Full time: Arsenal 0-1 Leicester!
90+6 mins: It’s all over! Leicester have won at Arsenal for the first time in two generations!
90+5 mins: One more yellow card, to Xhaka for hauling Under back by the shoulders.
90+5 mins: Pepe’s corner is headed away by the man on the near post, and then he has another go but picks out Schmeichel.
90+4 mins: Arsenal win a corner. Leno comes as far as the centre circle, and then stops.
90+2 mins: Chance for a Leicester second! Vardy is played in behind Mustafi, to the left of goal, and he runs in, waits for Leno to commit himself, Leno refuses to commit himself, and Vardy eventually has to shoot anyway and lifts it into the goalkeeper’s head, from where it bounces to safety!
90+1 mins: There will be five minutes of stoppage time, but Arsenal have never really looked like scoring at any stage of the second half.
89 mins: Aubameyang started on the right, moved to the left after Pepe came on, and in the last few minutes has finally gone to the centre. A bit too late, probably.
86 mins: The goal was Leicester’s first and so far only shot on target. Arsenal have had four, and lead 12-5 on shots overall.
85 min: One last substitution, as Marc Albrighton comes on for Maddison.
82 mins: Every element of that goal was perfect: Tielemans’ pass, Under’s cross, and a straightforward header. Irresistible.
81 mins: Arsenal bring Nketia on for Tierney as they chase the game.
GOAL! Arsenal 0-1 Leicester (Vardy, 80 mins)
Arsenal are ripped to shreds! Tielemens hits an excellent high pass over Xhaka, who was snoozing a bit, for Under, who runs into the area and half-volleys a cross for Vardy, on the edge of the six-yard box, to head into an empty net!
78 mins: Nearly a something! Vardy lifts the ball over the defence for Under, who was only a good first touch away from a great chance! It’s a bad first touch.
75 mins: Cengiz Under comes on, replacing Barnes. “Sorry you missed the end of Groundhog Day,” writes Niall Mullen. “*SPOILER ALERT* It turns out the secret to spiritual fulfilment is kindness and the ability to be present. Anyway, as I haven’t forked out for the PPV, I’ve had the time to put together a Bill Murray football XI:
- Broken Tim Flowers
- Caddyshackinfenwa
- The Life Aquatic With Steve Zizou
- Brian Lyttle Shop of Horrors
- Fantastic Ruel Fox
- Ian Rushmore
- Zombielandy Townsend
- Moonrise Kingdominic Solanke
- The Darjeeling Limiteddy Sheringham
- Marlon Kingpin
- Groundhog Damian Duff”
Excellent idea. Um, Bas Dost in Translation? El [Grand Budapest Ho]Tel?
74 mins: A long Leicester move ends with Tielemans and Lacazette on the floor in pain and Evans in the book, apparently for being the only one of three players attempting to win the same header to walk away from it.
73 mins: Leicester are playing with more intent now, as if the idea from the start was to hold arsenal for an hour, bring Vardy on and feast on their frustration.
69 mins: That was Arsenal’s first shot of the second half, 22 minutes into the second period.
68 mins: Save! Aubameyang gets to the byline and crosses, and Bellerin runs onto it and volleys goalwards, but Schmeichel pushes clear!
67 mins: Maddison gets booked for manhandling Lacazette, who to be fair was in his way.
65 mins: Nicolas Pepe comes on for Saka, who has been bright in attack but insufficiently incisive, and completely missed his kick when he had a sight of goal.
61 mins: Remarkable scenes! The ball breaks free on the Leicester left. Bellerin commits and slides in, Justin gets there first, prods the ball away and goes down over Bellerin’s leg. It is as fouly a foul as you’re ever likely to see, and quite possibly a second booking for the Arsenal full-back. The referee, for some reason, waves play on!
60 mins: Jamie Vardy is back! Praet, meanwhile, goes off.
59 mins: A lovely pass from Saka to Tierney takes Castagne out of the game, but Fofana gets back to block the cross.
57 mins: Another Lacazette foul, and this time he’s booked for running into Evans as the defender leapt for a header. Meanwhile, Jamie Vardy appears to be preparing to enter the fray.
57 mins: The shot goes high and also wide. Still, Leicester have had more shots in the last five minutes than in the previous 50.
56 mins: Now Lacazette fouls Mendy, maybe 30 yards from goal, and another Maddison shot might be on its way.
55 mins: Another Maddison shot, this from only 20 yards or so, after Castagne tackles Xhaka on halfway. This one deflects wide off Gabriel.
54 mins: Maddison wins the ball from Gabriel and has a shot from the halfway line, which floats harmlessly into Leno’s arms.
52 mins: Fofana gets booked for kicking Saka in the ankle. A legitimate attempt to win the ball, but all he got was opponent. Saka eventually gets to his feet and hobbles away.
49 mins: David Luiz is off, and Shkodran Mustafi is on.
48 mins: Gabriel gives the ball away, and for a moment Praet has an opportunity to play in Maddison. He doesn’t take it, and both Leicester players react with frustration. Meanwhile, David Luiz goes down as he tries to get back into position, presumably with some kind of muscular something.
46 mins: Peeeeep! Arsenal get the second half started. Both sides are unchanged, at least in terms of personnel.
Both sides will be looking for an improvement in the second half, as indeed will neutrals. On the plus side, one of the great benefits of this whole work-from-home business is that I can pop downstairs at the interval and get a glass of wine.
Half time: Arsenal 0-0 Leicester
45+3 mins: And that’s all for now! Safe to say it has been cagey, but Arsenal have had a goal disallowed and missed a couple of other good chances, and will feel they should be leading.