Arsene Wenger is set to continue on his farewell tour as his Arsenal side faces Leicester City as the Frenchman hopes to end things with a bang.
After finishing their season at home rather strongly, Arsenal fans will be moaning about their team’s away performances this season. Those performances, which has seen Arsenal win only thrice in the entire season away from home has been the reason for their derailment this season and a lack of champions league football next season.
Arsene Wenger, however, still hopes to finish the season as strongly as possible, and a win in his last two away games would be the way to do so. Leicester City are Arsenal’s opponents in midweek, but virtually both sides have nothing left to play for the remainder of the season.
Arsene Wenger does have a record to hold on to, as he, as Arsenal manager has never lost a game to Leicester City in his 22-years in charge. In recent times, however, Leicester have come close to beating them, but Arsenal has always come out o top.
Leicester, on the other hand, will guarantee a top-10 finish with a win over Arsenal and bring some joy back into the King Power stadium after their recent struggles. Claude Puel is sure to hope, along with Wenger this won’t be his final match at the King Power stadium after disappointed fans have shown their disapproval of him in recent weeks.
Team News & Tactics
Leicester City
Claude Puel has a few injury concerns ahead of Arsenal’s visit. Kasper Schmeichel, Shinji Okazaki, Wilfred Ndidi, Danny Simpson, Robert Huth and Matty James are all out the game with their respective injuries.
Apart from them, Ben Chilwell, Daniel Amartey and Vincente Iborra all remain doubtful to participate in the game. Other than injuries, Puel is also concerned with FA’s impending decision on Marc Albrighton, who was red carded against Crystal Palace and missed last weekend’s clash.
Leicester are waiting on FA’s final decision which could see him sit out the Arsenal game. This red cared made Albrighton miss Leicester’s defeat against West Ham last weekend
Probable Starting-XI (4-2-3-1) – Hamer; Benalouane, Morgan, Maguire, Fuchs; Choudhury, Iborra; Mahrez, Silva, Gray; Vardy
Arsenal
Arsene Wenger has a strong enough squad compared to the number of injuries Leicester have on their team. Mohamed ELneny and Mesut Ozil could miss the Leicester game, through ankle and back injuries respectively.
Fans were hoping to get a glimpse of Santi Cazorla again this season, but Wenger quashed those by insisting it would be an unnecessary risk to do so. Cazorla only recently returned from injury and into first-team training after suffering an Achilles injury back in October 2016.
Laurent Koscielny’s serious injury against Atletico last week summed up his season as well as the World Cup, but he definitely will not play the Leicester game.
Potential Starting-XI (4-3-3) – Cech; Bellerin, Chambers, Mavropanos, Kolasinac; Xhaka, Ramsey, Wilshere; Mkhitaryan, Aubameyang, Lacazette
Key Stats
- Arsenal are the only side in English league football without an away point in 2018.
- Arsenal are on a six-game losing streak away from home, and defeat could match a seven-game l losing streak from 1966.
- Arsenal hasn’t lost in 22-games against Leicester since 1994.
- Leicester are on a six-game losing streak on home soil.
- Jamie Vardy has scored five goals in his last five appearances against Arsenal
Betting Odds
Favourable Bets
1. Arsenal to win @ 2.00
2. Over 1.5 Team Goals for Arsenal @ 1.66
Underdog Bets
1. Arsenal Clean Sheet – YES @ 3.50
Player To Watch
Granit Xhaka
Granit Xhaka’s displays in 2018 have been marvellous to say the least. He has been Arsenal’s midfield general, and everything that has been good about Arsenal in recent games has come from him. Tidy in possession, starting attacks and his defensive game has improved to another level altogether.
Against Leicester, Xhaka will be crucial to Arenal’s chances of taking their first ever points of 2018 away from home. Xhaka’s game has seen him become undroppable in recent months and has played a heavy load of games in the centre of midfield. Expect him to be Arsenal’s leading man but someone in the scenario of goals galore to be the unsung hero.
Prediction
Leicester 1-2 Arsenal
Arsenal have a stronger, better and quality wise superior squad. Leicester are decent sides, but considering their injury problems and suspensions, Claude Puel might not be able to field the team he would have liked to play against Arsenal.
Arsenal’s strikers, on the other hand, have been in sensational form of late and would certainly want to continue that away from home for the remaining games of the season. Expect Arsenal to defeat Leicester comfortably as both sides are playing for pride rather than for a trophy.
