Arsenal drops valuable point as Jamie Vardy snatches late draw for Leicester

Arsenal could not secure a fifth consecutive win as Edward Nketia’s red reduced the team to 10-men and ultimately allowing Leicester forward, Jamie Vardy, to score and keep the game level.

The major headline going into the game was the battle for the European places, but the sub-plot of the Golden Boot race surfaced when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang slotted home his 21st of the campaign to take him one goal behind current leader Vardy.

Jamie Vardy then re-established his two-goal advantage in the race for the Golden Boot when the point man tapped in a low cross sent into the box by substitute Gray in the 84th minute of the game.

The equaliser, more importantly, gave Leicester a four-point cushion over Manchester United in fifth but as slipped down into fourth after Chelsea’s narrow 3-2 win against Crystal Palace earlier in the day. Arsenal remain in seventh with 50 points.

Arsenal had a recent run of league wins away at Southampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers and at home to Norwich City. The momentum has inadvertently sparked hopes they could force their way into the Champions League places, especially with the lingering possibility of Manchester City being banned from the competition.

Their hopes will have risen once more if they had held their lead un the match but in the end, Vardy’s equalizer left Arsenal hopefuls cutting a frustrated figure at the final whistle.

They controlled the entire first 45 minutes of the game scoring from an impressive play and Leicester City’s goalie, Schmeichel made a whole lot of difference with numerous saves.

Leicester City would be happy to have gone into the dugout conceding just that single goal as they came out much improved in the second half.

Arsenal was dealt a blow in the 75th minute when Eddie Nketiah was sent off just minutes after coming on as a substitute for a crunching challenge on James Justin. Chris Kavanagh had a long VAR check using the pitchside monitor and ultimately deciding against his initial yellow card and upgraded it to a red.

The VAR was involved in another big decision not long after Vardy equalised in the 84th minute. Another lengthy check deemed that Ayoze Perez – who was in an offside position as the ball was played in – did not get a touch onto the cross before his team-mate tapped home.

Mikel Arteta’s men would next face London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur.

Stats and facts from the match

• Arsenal remain unbeaten in 23 home league games against Leicester (W19 D4).
• Leicester City has scored 18 goals in the final 15 minutes of their Premier League games this season, more than any other side.
• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is just the second Arsenal player to score 20+ Premier League goals in consecutive seasons, after Thierry Henry (five in a row between 2001-02 and 2005-06).
• Only Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been involved in more goals for Arsenal this season in all competitions (25) than Bukayo Saka (16 – 4 goals, 12 assists).
• At 21 years 38 days, Eddie Nketiah is the youngest Arsenal player to be sent off in the Premier League since Konstantinos Mavropanos, also against Leicester in May 2018 (20y 149d).
• Leicester striker Jamie Vardy is just the fourth player to score at least 10 Premier League goals against Arsenal, after Wayne Rooney (12), Robbie Fowler and Harry Kane (both 10).
• Since his debut in January 2016, Leicester’s Demarai Gray has registered eight assists as a sub in the Premier League, more than any other player.

Other results

Crystal Palace 2 – 3 Chelsea

Watford 2 – 1 Norwich City