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From the moment he got off the bench, it was written in the script.
Jamie Vardy loves to score against Arsenal, it’s one of the things he does best and it was a cruel punishment for Mikel Arteta and his profligate players.
Leicester forward Vardy, who had missed the last two games through injury, has scored 11 Premier League goals against Arsenal and only Wayne Rooney has scored more with 12.
And it was Vardy who showed exactly what Arsenal lacked: a ruthless and murderous lead as the Gunners wasted opportunities, they weren’t clinical or direct enough.
Unbelievably, this was the first time Arsenal lost a league game at home in 33 games in October.
(Image: PA)
But if there was one player to finish that sequence, then it had to be Vardy, as he seems to be feasting on the Arsenal defense and the longer the game went on, the more you felt it wouldn’t be his night.
They had more possession, more shots and still ended up losing and, having both teams started with nine points, it now suddenly looks like Leicester is off to a really impressive start as the jury is out on Arsenal.
Defeats to Liverpool, Manchester City and Leicester show that Arsenal are not yet ready to join the Premier League elite. They are still a bit behind those kinds of teams. The results prove it.
The old weaknesses are there for Arteta’s Arsenal as they were undone with pace and a direct break for Leicester’s goal. They just couldn’t find the finishing touch or even create enough clear chances for all of their 57 percent possession and good focus play.
(Image: Pool via REUTERS)
Alexandre Lacazette was the most profligate of all, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has five Premier League games without a goal, which seems to him a drought.
Hector Bellerin was arguably the closest for Arsenal, one run was cut short by the brilliant challenge of Jonny Evans and another volley was stopped by Kasper Schmeichel’s save. But in truth, Bellerin was lucky not to have been sent off for a second yellow card at the time of the second.
Arsenal will signal an early effort when a Lacazette header put the ball into the net, the linesman’s flag was raised and referee Craig Pawson checked with the VAR and ruled Granit Xhaka was offside.
No, Xhaka didn’t touch him, but he was clearly in Schmeichel’s point of view and the decision was spot on after just two minutes despite complaints and controversy.
(Image: Getty Images)
Leicester really missed Vardy’s presence in the starting lineup as they looked pretty toothless with only Harvey Barnes as a false nine and Arsenal led the game, but the visitors found a tough nut to crack.
Lacazette’s failure at the half hour mark was unforgivable. Kieran Tierney drilled a cross from the left, Lacazette should have put his head on the ball, but Christian Fuchs looked bummed, who made a challenge to put him off.
In the end, Lacazette should have been braver. Moments like that decide the games and you can bet Vardy wouldn’t have thought twice.
(Image: POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
Mikel Arteta’s gunners have been deprived of title glory for a while now, but things could be turning as a new Arsenal team chart a course for success.
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But as the game progressed, you knew it was a matter of time before Brendan Rodgers played the ace up his sleeve. Vardy entered the hour mark and the nervousness was immediately felt in Arsenal’s defense.
Youri Tielemans charming cut ball over the top released Cengiz Under, the Leicester substitute ran down the right, threw back a clever cross and Vardy rushed in to avoid mistakes with ten minutes to go.
Despite all their summer spending, Arsenal are still a work in progress. They still look vulnerable, they still seem far from the finished item and one of the top four teams. But that’s exactly what Leicester looks like.
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