{"id":2469,"date":"2021-02-28T15:08:50","date_gmt":"2021-02-28T15:08:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=2469"},"modified":"2021-03-05T09:05:32","modified_gmt":"2021-03-05T09:05:32","slug":"gunners-bounce-back-from-early-setback","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=2469","title":{"rendered":"Gunners Bounce Back from Early Setback"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<a id=\"wDFWdtfZREpzPeuikat-3g\" class=\"gie-single\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.co.uk\/detail\/1231432335\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;\" rel=\"noopener\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'wDFWdtfZREpzPeuikat-3g',sig:'Cdqb9V9ElUzeLC1Kn8gMA71XE97cuozyXggB3rYV7Ms=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'1231432335',caption: true ,tld:'co.uk',is360: false })});<\/script><script src=\"\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\" async=\"\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>The Arsenal travelled to Leicester today seeking a happier ending than our last three visits in the PL (we lost them all, in case your memory fails you) and also looking, I would hope, for a measure of revenge for a particularly annoying home defeat this season. Before the game Leicester were in the top four and umpteen points ahead of us, although to be honest that baffles me as I don\u2019t think they are particularly good. Still, it would obviously be a difficult trip just after the Benfica win in midweek and before the game Mikel rang the changes leaving out Belly (sorry) and bringing in Cedric as well as Mar\u00ec, Elneny, Pepe, Willian and Lacazette.&nbsp;A more cynical man might have concluded that we had decided either a) we were not going to reach the CL via the PL or b) Mikel agrees with me that Leicester aren\u2019t very good and any XI will do. I am not that man and figured Mikel picked a side that would keep the game tight and not overly commit forward as well as taking into consideration the need to rest a couple.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As it was, I was looking forward to the game, as always, and also hoping that players drafted in would be keen to make the case for a more regular spot.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The game kicked off and after six minutes of absolute nothingness Willian and Xhaka combined to lose the ball on the left hand side of midfield and it came to Tielemans who ran unchallenged into our area and placed it past Leno into the far corner of our net. I honestly do not know what to say about that goal, I do not know why Mar\u00ec didn\u2019t go across \u2013 perhaps he saw Xhaka chasing back after Tielemans and thought he would catch him, perhaps he was looking for KT. Whatever the reason, we were one down against a Leicester side that like nothing better than to sit back with a lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Leicester 1 The Arsenal 0&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;6\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We nearly gave away another a minute later when Leno passed to Vardy who, on first watch, I thought looked so surprised at the free gift that he didn&#8217;t punish us. However, from that moment on the first half was more or less all The Arsenal, apart from a couple of long-range efforts from Barnes and Iheanacho.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPenalty!\u201d I screamed in the 12<sup>th<\/sup>&nbsp;minute when Pepe was brought down by Ndidi. \u201cPenalty!\u201d said Tierney and pointed to the spot. Alas that nasty Mr VAR pointed out that the foul was actually just outside the box. After that we probed down both flanks with Pepe giving the young Leicester full-back a tough time. KT was also getting some dangerous balls in from the left but things weren\u2019t really dropping for us in the area. Our best chance was when Willian pulled a shot wide after a nice ball in from Xhaka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The next incident of note was when Tierney stopped the game after a possible head injury to Evans from a corner, The Arsenal players looked miffed as they had the ball on the edge of the opposition box at the time but I thought the referee was exactly right.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We had continued to push for an equalizer and it finally came when Thomas was again forced to foul P\u00e9p\u00e9 (he was finally booked) and we scored from our usual well-worked free kick routine. Luiz cleverly delayed his run, Willian spotted it and delivered the ball perfectly for Luiz to flick into the far corner despite an off-puttingly high boot beside his head. A well deserved equaliser and a well-deserved punishment for Leicester for their generally negative approach and frequent fouling of P\u00e9p\u00e9.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Leicester 1 The Arsenal 1&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;39\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, a more worrying development a few minutes later came when ESR pulled up with an injury (at the time of writing I do not know how serious it is but he didn\u2019t look in any distress and fingers crossed it is not too bad). \u00d8degaard came on to replace him.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, a tonic was to follow in the waning moments of the half when, after an excellent surge by Willian, the ball came to P\u00e9p\u00e9 whose shot was deflected away by Ndidi. \u201cPenalty!!\u201d I didn\u2019t shout, as in all honesty I didn\u2019t see it and neither did Paul Tierney. Fortunately, that nice Mr VAR pointed out that Ndidi had blocked it with his raised arm and penalty it certainly was. Lacazette slotted it home calmly and the good guys took a deserved lead into half-time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Leicester 1 The Arsenal 2&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;45\u2019 +2, pen.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The only change at half-time was the hooking of the unfortunate young Thomas for Albrighton. Probably, a wise move on Rogers part given he was on a yellow. Further problems came for Leicester when Barnes went down with what at first looked a fairly routine injury but may be worse as he was finally stretchered off after treatment.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The half had started with Leicester moving to Plan B of pressing hard and trying to play some football. Why wait until you\u2019re losing?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, that pressing was to prove Leicester\u2019s undoing a couple of minutes later when P\u00e9p\u00e9 broke forward at speed on our right and slipped the ball to \u00d8degaard in the centre. He passed it across to Willian arriving at the far stick and his simple ball into the middle was tapped home by Pepe. A fine goal and a pleasure to see us do it away from home in a tricky game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Leicester 1 The Arsenal 3&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;52\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After the thitd goal Leicester huffed and puffed and we had chances on the break. A few sloppy passes aside (yes \u00d8degaard, I am looking at you), we tackled and blocked well in the main and then moved the ball forward well when the chance came though the execution was not at the level of the third goal. Elneny was substituted around the 65<sup>th<\/sup>&nbsp;minute to give Thomas a run, I assume, and Auba came on for Laca for the last 10 minutes, nearly scored too after a nice jink into the box from the left. Unfortunately, his trademark shot into the far corner was just the other side of the post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The game ended with us doing the right things \u2013 defending stoutly, wasting time to annoy the Leicester players and denying them even a consolation with good shot-blocking in the closing minutes of the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Overall, it was an excellent performance after giving a ridiculous goal away early on. Willian, P\u00e9p\u00e9, Xhaka and KT all played well as did Lacazette working hard up front. No one played badly, just my opinion of course and I look forward to hearing your own. The only possible blip is the injury to ESR and we await reports with fingers crossed.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A good day and good game my fellow Gooners, hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did!!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Embed from Getty Images The Arsenal travelled to Leicester today seeking a happier ending than our last three visits in the PL (we lost them all, in case your memory fails you) and also looking, I would hope, for a measure of revenge for a particularly annoying home defeat this season. Before the game Leicester [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2469"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2469"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2469\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2509,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2469\/revisions\/2509"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2469"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2469"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2469"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}