Zinchenko and Martinelli help Arsenal dominate Leicester

February 26, 2023 ndowd

Arsenal maintained momentum in the Premier League title race as they secured a 1-0 win against Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.

The challenge for Mikel Arteta’s side was clear from the outset as the Foxes were happy to concede possession and sit back.

The Gunners had the ball in the net courtesy of Leandro Trossard’s whipped effort into the top corner in the 29th minute, only for VAR’s intervention to call the referee’s attention to Ben White’s foul on goalkeeper Danny Ward.

Arsenal enjoyed 74% of possession in the first half, but it was a long-ball and precise pass from Trossard that found Gabriel Martinelli just moments after the restart and his finish was just as impressive as the assist.

The introduction of Jamie Vardy and Youri Tielemans saw Leicester switch to a more aggressive approach, and manager Brendan Rodgers added an extra striker in Patson Daka, but the hosts were unable to impose themselves against a stubborn Arsenal defence.

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Positives

Arsenal dictated possession for the full 90 minutes, carved out regular chances and prevented their opponents from creating anything meaningful. A perfect performance, though the scoreline could have been more.

Negatives

Arsenal sometimes gave the ball away in needless areas which saw them concede chances that a better opponent may have punished them for.

Manager rating (out of 10, 10 = best)

8 — It looked as though Arteta’s tactical approach for this game was perfect against Rodgers’ system, with Arsenal dominant throughout.

Player ratings (players introduced after 70 minutes = no rating)

GK Aaron Ramsdale, 6 – A spectator in the first half, with Leicester failing to register a single effort on goal. Ramsdale will have his defence to thank for a match that could have been a training session.

DF Oleksandr Zinchenko, 8 — Zinchenko was captain for the day as a mark of respect on the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. At the heart of the majority of promising spells for Arsenal, with the opposition struggling to pick up his movement when he drifted inside, he linked well with Martinelli down the left and came close with an effort that forced a save from Ward.

DF Gabriel Magalhaes, 7 – A no-nonsense approach from Gabriel saw him regularly prevent attacks from building up. He looked un-phased throughout the match.

DF William Saliba, 7 – He kept concentration and dealt with situations well when the Foxes were looking to counter attack. A fairly straightforward match for Saliba.

DF Ben White, 5 – The right-back won the battle on his flank but it was his foul on Ward that ruled out Arsenal’s opener.

MF Jorginho, 6 – Dictated play well and transitioned the ball forward at the right times. His best pass came in the first half when putting through Bukayo Saka.

MF Granit Xhaka, 7 – Always looked to play progressively and timed his forward runs well to open up space for Zinchenko to drop into. Worked hard to get back during defensive transitions.

MF Martin Odegaard, 6 – The Norway international was difficult to pick up when running at the defence and produced a number of incisive passes, but he looked slower than usual with his decision making.

FW Gabriel Martinelli, 7 – Kept wide on the left flank and threatened at times in the first half, but it was after the break when he made his impact with a cool finish past Ward to put Arsenal into the lead.

FW Leandro Trossard, 7 – Trossard produced a fine finish in the first half that would have stood but for White’s foul. Picked up an assist for Martinelli’s goal in an overall fine display from the Belgium international.

FW Bukayo Saka, 6 – Regular runs in behind provided one of Arsenal’s best routes to goal, though Saka was quiet in the second half.