If Arsenal are trying to flirt with failure, they are doing a grand job. Recent results have been poor, not just in terms of the scoreline but the general performance, which has been spectacularly average. Away from home Arsenal have been shocking and it doesn’t bode well that the next game is against those well known party poopers Leicester, at the King Power stadium.
To add to their misery, Arsenal enter this match on the back of two consecutive Premier League defeats, losing 3-2 at home against Crystal Palace before being humiliated 3-1 at Wolves in their previous match. However their performances in Europa are a. stark contrast to their domestic fortunes with Arsenal being the odds on favourites by various bookies around the world including nz online casinos to win the Europa league.
It's all over! Wolves take all three points with an emphatic victory over @Arsenal. Goals from Ruben Neves, Matt Doherty and Diogo Jota in the first half make all the difference! #WOLARS
— Wolves (@Wolves) April 24, 2019
Unai Emery will have to find a spirit that has seemingly deserted his side and has seen them bereft of ideas, creativity and penetration.
Brendan Rogers, who jumped ship at Celtic after predictably winning almost everything at a domestic level, was attracted by the mixture of experience and emerging talent and said at the time of his appointment at Leicester City:
“I have a group of hungry young players, a group of senior players who have had a few years of the title win and everything that goes around it. Now I think they appreciate it is a case of, right, let’s stabilise, get focused and go again.”
He has a valid point because apart from the poaching talents of Vardy, they have Kelechi Iheanacho up front, James Maddison, Wilfred Ndidi and Harvey Barnes creating in the middle and Harry Maguire and Ben Chilwell in defence.
It’s likely they will adopt a similar game plan to Palace and Wolves by pressing high and denying space in the hope of quick counter attacks.
Leicester have won four out of their last six games, with one draw and their only loss was a narrow 1-0 defeat to a battling Newcastle in a clash of former Liverpool managers.
The outcome of this match could reflect in the final league positions at the end of the season, with all the teams leading the chase for a top four finish falling short.
Arsenal have to deliver and can’t afford to lose this game but, they will meet huge resistance in Leicester who can easily take them in a counter attack.
The big question for Arsenal is what formation and who is likely to head up the defence ?
Unai Emery is running out of options to rotate but he needs a response that indicates that Arsenal can take advantage of the failure going on around them. They somehow need to negate the blockade and counters and dominate the middle whilst being ruthless in attack.
Preferred Team Against Leicester:-
Goalkeeper: Leno
Defense: Maitland-Niles, Sokratis, Koscielny, Monreal, Kolasinac
Midfield: Torreira, Xhaka; Ozil
Attack: Aubameyang, Lacazette
