Arsenal have a stern test on their hands as they lock horns with Leicester City on Sunday. The Gunners are coming on the back of an eventful game against SL Benfica that saw them make an extraordinary comeback late in the proceedings to seal a ticket to the next round of the UEFA Europa League.
However, things have gone south for the Gunners in the Premier League, so collecting three points could be crucial as Mikel Arteta’s men seek to get into the top half of the table.
While Arsenal advanced through to the Round of 16 in the most entertaining way possible, Leicester City were knocked out by Slavia Prague in midweek, following a 2-0 defeat. Unlike their weekend opponents, though, the Foxes are flying high in the league and could potentially overtake Manchester United with a win on Sunday.
Leicester City Vs Arsenal Tactical Preview
Talking Tactics
Leicester City
Brendan Rodgers will likely revert to a back three this weekend after stumbling to a defeat in midweek. The hosts are hoping to use their fullbacks to exploit the gaps left behind by the Arsenal wide players. However, there might be an emphasis on long balls from the back, with the pace of Jamie Vardy likely to be useful against the rather vulnerable Arsenal centre-backs.
Arsenal
Mikel Arteta, on the other hand, has no reason to tinker with a traditional 4-2-3-1 formation that has evidently improved his team’s attacking game. While the Spaniard is unlikely to make any changes to his approach, he could ring in a lot of changes to the side as he apparently prioritises the Europa League ahead of the Premier League.
Team News
Leicester City
Rogers is facing a host of injury-related absentees heading into this game, with the list including Wesley Fofana, Dennis Praet, Ayoze Perez and James Justin. So we may once again see Ricardo Pereira at left wing-back while James Maddison remains a doubt, perhaps forcing the home side to rely on the services of Harvey Barnes in regards to their creative play.
Predicted Lineup: Schmeichel; Amartey, Evans, Soyuncu; Castagne, Ndidi, Tielemans, Pereira; Albrighton, Vardy, Barnes
Arsenal
As mentioned earlier, changes could be in order for Arsenal, with Bukayo Saka, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Martin Odegaard and Hector Bellerin all in line to receive a rest. There could be a start for Thomas Partey as well after the midfielder featured for thirty minutes in Greece.
Predicted Lineup: Leno; Cedric, Gabriel, Mari, Tierney; Partey, Xhaka; Pepe, Smith Rowe, Martinelli; Lacazette
Key Men
Leicester City
With a host of key players out injured, Leicester City are banking their hopes on star striker Jamie Vardy. His pace and aggression should be useful against an Arsenal defence that is prone to make mistakes. Not to mention, the forward is blessed with an excellent positional sense that could give him the upper hand heading into this contest.
Arsenal
For Arsenal, the onus will be on Nicolas Pepe to produce something solid as Arteta plans to provide Saka with a breather this weekend. The Ivorian has enjoyed a noticeable improvement in his game, but an impressive performance against a strong team is indeed in order to win a prominent place in the starting eleven.
