Arsenal will aim to climb back above Manchester United to fourth in the Premier League table when they host Leicester City at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
The Gunners are on a great run of their own and moved into the top four spots with a 3-2 win over relegation-threatened Watford last weekend. On Sunday, they will have a chance of making it five Premier League wins on the bounce.
Leicester City, meanwhile, have been inconsistent throughout the season and lie 12th in the table. Back-to-back league wins over Leeds United and Burnley respectively, while a 2-0 success in the Conference League last 16 first-leg tie over Rennes in midweek has eased some pressure off Brendan Rodgers’ shoulders.
The win will give the Foxes some much-needed momentum ahead of a stiff challenge against an in-form Arsenal side.
Arsenal vs Leicester City – Team News
Arsenal
Emile Smith Rowe had missed Arsenal’s win over Watford at Vicarage Road last weekend due to Covid-19, but Mikel Arteta hopes to have the young playmaker in his squad against Leicester City. Takehiro Tomiyasu, however, missed out again with a calf problem.
Aaron Ramsdale is the undisputed first-choice in goal for Arsenal and should start on Sunday, with a consistently performing backline of Cedric Soares, Ben White, Gabriel Magalhaes and Kieran Tierney guarding the English shot-stopper.
Onto the next one – together! ✊#ARSLEI 🔜 pic.twitter.com/txa6r7ItO6
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) March 10, 2022
Granit Xhaka is expected to partner Thomas Partey in the midfield double-pivot, with the duo tasked to protect the Arsenal backline as well as provide a strong base for the creative players to roam freely. Martin Odegaard brings unpredictability and flair to the Gunners’ attack, linking the play from the no.10 position.
With their speed, directness and energy, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli could test the Leicester backline. Alexandre Lacazette may have not been a prolific goal scorer this season, but the way he links play while leading the attack makes him such a crucial player for Arteta.
Leicester City
Ricardo Pereira has recovered from a hamstring problem and could be involved against Arsenal, along with Papy Mendy. But Timothy Castagne (thigh), Jamie Vardy (knee) and Jonny Evans (thigh) will all miss out due to injury, while Wesley Fofana is ill.
Kasper Schmeichel is expected in goal on Sunday at the Emirates Stadium. The centre-back pairing of Caglar Soyuncu and Daniel Amartey have kept back-to-back clean sheets in the league, but could face a bigger test against a free-flowing Arsenal side. James Justin and Luke Thomas will retain their positions at full-back from the Rennes win.
Ahead of #ArsLei in the #PL, we’ve compared the stats of Martin Ødegaard and James Maddison 📊
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— Leicester City (@LCFC) March 12, 2022
Up ahead in midfield, Wilfried Ndidi will stick to his job of protecting the backline, allowing the likes of Youri Tielemans and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to join in attacks as much as they can. The Foxes’ midfield trio will need to work their socks off to stop Arsenal from playing their natural game.
Upfront, Patson Daka is a certainty to lead the Leicester attack, with James Maddison and Harvey Barnes adding creativity and pace from wide areas. If the midfielders can help Maddison and Barnes get on the ball more in the final third, the Gunners’ defence could face some problems.
Arsenal vs Leicester City – Predicted Lineups
Arsenal Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1): Aaron Ramsdale; Cedric Soares, Ben White, Gabriel Magalhaes, Kieran Tierney; Thomas Partey, Granit Xhaka; Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli; Alexandre Lacazette
Leicester City Predicted Lineup (4-3-3): Kasper Schmeichel; James Justin, Caglar Soyuncu, Daniel Amartey, Luke Thomas; Wilfred Ndidi, Youri Tielemans, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall; Harvey Barnes, James Maddison, Patson Daka
Arsenal vs Leicester City – Key Players
Arsenal—Bukayo Saka
Bukayo Saka has arguably been Arsenal’s best player this season, producing consistently good performances. He scored a smashing goal in the Gunners’ 3-2 win over Watford in the last game and will be aiming to maintain a similar level of performance when his team takes on Leicester City this weekend. The England international is a player worth keeping an eye on in this exciting Premier League encounter.
Leicester City—James Maddison
James Maddison will try getting on the ball more and exploiting spaces while on transitions. With his brilliant passing and movement, he will look to drop deep at times and release willing runners such as Patson Daka and Harvey Barnes to bombard the opposition box. If the English midfielder is on song, he can cause plenty of problems to the Arsenal backline.
Prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Leicester City