Arsenal expected to face a tough challenge in their own backyard as they came up against Leicester City at the Emirates Stadium. Initially, their defence looked vulnerable at times when the Foxes went up the pitch, resulting into an own goal by Hector Bellerin, who was not able to handle the continuous pressure from the Leicester left-back Ben Chilwell in the first half. However, Arsenal captain Mesut Ozil, who looked in ominous form on the night, equalised right on the brink of half-time through a well-synchronised attack and quality finish to bring the Gunners right back into the contest.
In the second half, it was Ozil once again who provided the perfect pass to set up Bellerin, who laid it off in the path of the second half substitute Pierre Emerick Aubameyang who made no mistake in tapping the ball into the net. The Gabon international was once again on the mark as he bagged his second of the night in the 66th minute, a simple tap-in from a brilliant assist provided by the Arsenal skipper on the night. The Gunners got a few more chances to extend their lead, but the scoreline remained unchanged until the final whistle.
Here is how the Arsenal players were rated in their emphatic win against Leicester City.
Bernd Leno: 7
Had a good outing. Made a brilliant save to deny Harry Maguire in the first half as otherwise the scoreline could have looked very different for the North London side.
Hector Bellerin: 6
Looked completely out of sorts during the first half, especially while defending. However, his bursting runs into the opposition half created chances as the Gunners capitalised on them to earn a win.
Shkodran Mustafi: 6
Looked decent in the second half after having a torrid first half against the Leicester attackers. Could have been booked for his push on James Maddison.
Rob Holding: 5
Lucky to be on the pitch as the referee overlooked his certain handball and he escaped a second yellow card.
Stephan Lichtsteiner: 7
Did his job well in a new position as he was deployed on the left-hand side of the defence. Made crucial interceptions to help his team stay out of harm’s way.
Lucas Torreira: 7
Had a mixed game. Was more or less quiet in the first half but played his part well as the defensive screen in front of the backline.
Granit Xhaka: 5.5
Looked off-colour on the night.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan: 6
Tried his level best but failed to make a substantial impact. Made a few good runs but to no avail before being taken off in the second half.
Mesut Ozil: 9
Showed his class to win it for the Gunners. Looked meticulous whenever on the ball and made his presence felt throughout the night.
Alex Iwobi: 7
Was a livewire on the pitch, tearing up the Leicester defence quite a few times. However, could not provide proper finishing to his efforts.
Alexandre Lacazette: 6
Was present at the right place most of the times but unfortunately could not find the back of the net.
Substitutes
Matteo Guendouzi: 7
Gave good support to Torreira since coming on in the second half.
Pierre Emerick Aubameyang: 8
Was on fire since coming on. Scored two crucial goals to see his side come out on top.
Aaron Ramsey: 6
Had a decent night since coming on for Ozil.
