Post-Match Report

Arsenal 3-1 Leicester: How it happened

Ozil and Aubameyang celebrate
Ozil and Aubameyang celebrate

Leicester City -

Emirates Stadium
Premier League
Premier League
  Arsenal
      
                  Ozil (45)
                   P. Aubameyang (63, 66)
            
   crest
Arsenal
Ozil (45)
P. Aubameyang (63, 66)
3 - 1
  Leicester City
      
              B. Chilwell (31)
          
   crest
Leicester City
B. Chilwell (31)

WHAT HAPPENED



 

Captain for the night Mesut Ozil inspired us to come from behind to record a 10th successive win as we beat Leicester City at Emirates Stadium.

 

The visitors took a deserved first-half lead when Ben Chilwell's effort found its way past Bernd Leno via a Hector Bellerin deflection, before Ozil took control, starting and finishing the move that brought us level just before the break.

 

The German then had a hand in both of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's goals, which came just moments after he was introduced in the second half. 

 

But there was little sign of what was to come in the opening exchanges. We started the game slowly and Leicester were full of their usual running and speed on the counter-attack, with Kelechi Iheanacho twice going close.

 

Midway through the half, the Foxes had a huge shout for a penalty turned down when Rob Holding seemed to divert the ball away from danger with his hand. 

 

The visitors were on top at this stage, and should have taken the lead when Harry Maguire had a free header at the far post - credit to Bernd Leno though for an excellent low save, getting a strong hand to the ball to turn it round the post.

Mesut Ozil celebrates his equaliser

Mesut Ozil celebrates his equaliser

 

Alexandre Lacazette and Stephan Lichtsteiner - in for his first Premier League start at left back - both blazed over from outside the area as we sought a route back into the game.

 

Leicester were working hard, pressing and springing forward, and in truth it was little surprise when they took the lead.

 

Chilwell, fresh from his England call up, tore forward from left back, burst into the area and saw his low cross-cum-shot deflected off Bellerin, past Leno and into the net.

 

But just before the interval, Ozil raced on to a Granit Xhaka pass on the halfway line, and headed straight for goal. He fed the overlapping Bellerin on the right, continued his run into the box, then superbly tucked guided home the return pass low in off the post.

 

We carried on where we left off at the start of the second period. Alex Iwobi injected some purpose going forward, and both Lacazette and Henrikh Mkhitaryan could have scored in the opening five minutes.

 

Wilfred Ndidi served warning that this was still a close contest when he thumped a header against the bar, before Unai Emery made a game-changing

double substitution.

 

On came Matteo Guendouzi and Aubameyang, with Xhaka moving to left back. Within five minutes of coming on, the striker had netted twice.

Auba dance

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored twice in the space of three minutes

 

The first was a close-range finish from a Bellerin cross, after Ozil threaded a superb pass through to the full back.

 

The Emirates was still rocking when Aubameyang finished yet another tremendous team move for the third goal.

 

Ozil dummied the ball to Alexandre Lacazette outside the area, took the return pass and flicked a perfect cross to Aubameyang to score his eighth of the season.

 

Game set and match. We had further chances, particularly through Lacazette, to add to the scoreline. It didn't matter. 

This made it 10 wins in a row, for the first time since 2007, with at least two goals scored in each of them. We're on a roll.

HOW IT HAPPENED



For a play by play account of the game, including graphics, GIFs and more, click here.

 

WHAT IT MEANS

Premier League table, October 22

Premier League table, October 22

WHAT'S NEXT

We jet off to Portugal on Wednesday for the third Europa League game of the season, against Sporting. Having taken six points from six already in the competition, another win in midweek would inch us even closer to the knockout rounds.