Premier League Preview : Gunners Go Fox Hunting


Ask any Leicester City fan and they’ll tell you that supporting the Foxes has always been a wild roller-coaster ride. Since their last victory against Arsenal, on penalties in the FA Cup back in January 2000 on route to defeat in the final, with a side boasting a young Emile Heskey, they have since been relegated, promoted and relegated again from the Premier League before a further relegation condemned them to the depths of League One. Promotion back to the Championship was followed by heart-break in the semi-finals of the playoffs, before finally securing Premier League status once again the following campaign. After pulling off the greatest of escapes to avoid relegation in the 2014/15 season… well, we all know what happened next. The outgoing champions, who find themselves in a survival fight once again, head to the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday evening to take on Arsenal.

Alexis Sanchez of Arsenal (R) celebrates with Hector Bellerin

A winless streak of 11 games against this week’s opponents since that FA Cup triumph at the turn of the millennium - one has to look as far back as 1994 to the last time Leicester City beat Arsenal in a Premier League fixture – a run stretching 20 games. Arsene Wenger’s men will be rejuvenated following their come-from-behind victory against Manchester City at Wembley on Sunday to reach their third FA Cup final in the last four seasons and in a week when they beat Middlesbrough too, they have now won back-to-back games for the first time since January. Alexis Sanchez who scored the winner against City, currently has 19 goals to his name in the league – his best return in an Arsenal jersey – and could become only the fifth Gunner ever to reach 20 in a Premier League season.

Craig Shakespeare’s men will be making their first appearance since their Champions League exit at the hands of Atletico Madrid. The last remaining English team in the competition put up a tremendous fight but in the end were no match for the side from the Spanish capital. The honeymoon period is well and truly over for the man that replaced the title-winning Claudio Ranieri – they are winless in the last 4 in all competitions and will be without skipper Wes Morgan once again who is still struggling with injury.
Danny Welbeck of Arsenal (L) celebrates with team mate Olivier Giroud[/caption]
What a difference a year makes. Wednesday’s encounter will be the 137th meeting between the two following the goalless draw at the King Power Stadium early in the season. Danny Welbeck’s late header secured all 3 points for Arsenal in the corresponding fixture last season, and although neither side is pushing for a Premier League crown like last year, this fixture is crucial to both sides in their ultimate quest for points. A win for the Gunners will see them move to within touching distance of the top four while a win for the Foxes will push them into the top 10. Defeat on the other hand would surely leave Arsenal with too much to do in order to qualify for the Champions League, while defeat for Leicester would leave them looking nervously, and rather familiarly back over their shoulders once again.

Published: 04/26/2017