Not so fast, Foxes. Just when Leicester City thought they had escaped intact from a muscular, occasionally desperate rearguard second half at the Emirates, Arsenal pulled them back in. Claudio Ranieri’s team produced a spiky, tenacious display of deep-lying defence having been reduced to 10 men by Danny Simpson’s slightly soft sending off on 54 minutes. Ultimately they were reeled in by a thrilling final burst as Arsenal turned a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 win with goals from the substitutes Theo Walcott and, most cinematically of all, the returning Danny Welbeck in the final seconds.
Niggly, awkward, comfortable for long periods behind their 1-0 lead, for Leicester a point here against Arsenal would have felt like a victory by the end. As it is, three Premier League games many suggested would decide – or derail – their title push have still brought six points from nine. Nobody won a title without a few bumps in the road and Leicester will take heart from their spirit here. As will Arsenal, who struggled against well-drilled, physically powerful opponents, but kept pushing and probably just about deserved victory in a game that was sadly dominated by some debatable refereeing calls from Martin Atkinson.
On a bright, chilly afternoon Arsenal kicked off in an unusually febrile atmosphere at the Emirates. Per Mertesacker replaced the injured Gabriel in the starting lineup, muddling Wenger’s planning for this fixture and pitting Arsenal’s most immobile centre-half against a team with extreme pace on the counterattack. The return of Francis Coquelin offered the promise of a little extra protection, and there was cheer also in the presence of Welbeck on the bench for the first time since April.
Leicester simply came out like Leicester, the same team that had won so brilliantly at the Etihad Stadium the weekend before, with a defence that came here having conceded two goals in five matches.
Arsenal started brightly, Mesut Özil feeding Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who crossed to the far post when he might have tested Kasper Schmeichel’s early resolve. From the corner the improbable figure of Alexis Sánchez rose like an Action Man hurled from an upstairs window and headed just wide.
Otherwise Leicester settled into their familiar black-shirted double-bolt, with N’Golo Kanté snapping into tackles and Danny Drinkwater, understated general of this team, putting his foot in. Leicester, fairytale kings, are no strangers to the dark arts of rotational fouling when necessary and here shirts were grappled and runs blocked. Ranieri has insisted on his own hands-off tactical role. But there can have been few more Italianesque Premier League table-toppers than this canny Leicester team with their deep-lying Wes-enaccio defence and their one-to-11 tactical discipline.
Leicester simply looked the better team for much of the first half, with Kanté running the game in midfield, using his acceleration to snap and bite into loose balls and curling in one beautiful dipping shot that Petr Cech tipped over. What a player he has turned out to be. At times this season Kanté must have been tempted to scratch his head and look a little baffled. Premier League? Really? Is that all you have got?
Leicester’s goal before half-time came from where Leicester’s goals tend to come: breaking down the right, Kanté snapping into a collision with Laurent Koscielny. The ball broke to Jamie Vardy. His jink into the box ended in a tumble over Nacho Monreal’s leg. It was a poor attempt at a tackle, half turning away, offering the chance to fall over the leg that was left. Vardy got up and spanked the ball low past Cech.
Arsenal emerged with greater purpose after half-time, Aaron Ramsey shooting just wide of the right-hand post and Olivier Giroud putting himself about a little more in front of the Leicester defence. Ten minutes into the half the landscape changed when Simpson was shown a soft second yellow card for a tug on Giroud’s arm. It was perhaps a broader response to Leicester’s frequent niggly fouls, although in isolation it seemed harsh. A little later Drinkwater got away with a flying lunge into the back of Ramsey. Riyad Mahrez dived in search of a penalty but was not booked. Not the greatest day for a referee who was barracked relentlessly by the home fans.
The onslaught came vaguely at first. Sánchez began to figure more on the left. Walcott found space on the other wing, and it was from that side that the equaliser came with 20 minutes to go. Héctor Bellerín whipped a cross on to Giroud’s head. His lovely cushioned nod found Walcott in space and the finish was assured.
After that Arsenal pressed hard. Mertesacker somehow failed to head home from eight yards, picked out by Özil’s flighted pass. Moments later, Giroud turned and shot inside the box only for Schmeichel to produce a wonderful save.
Enter Welbeck. With seconds left Arsenal’s sub, so horribly plagued by injury, leapt highest to flick a header past Schmeichel from Özil’s pass. Welbeck celebrated wildly in the crowd and will now hope to add his own muscle and drive to Arsenal’s run-in.
For Leicester the sense of injustice at the sending-off will add a sting to a defeat that looked unlikely at the halfway point. The players have a week off now and will seek some healing winter sun. They remain two points clear at the top. Only one thing seems clear. Like both teams here, this one is going to run right to the end.
Man of the match N’Golo Kanté (Leicester City)
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