Premier League: Arsenal vs Leicester Player Ratings

In Round 26, Mikel Arteta led the Gunners into King Power Stadium in the hope of exiting with 3 points. A win against Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester side would take Arsenal within 6 points of the Top 6, and therefore, European football.

Mikel Arteta – 7.5

I’m not going to lie… I did not at all like the line-up that was put forward. Resting top calibre players such as Bellerin, Saka, Ceballos, Odegaard, Partey and Aubameyang left the team appearing somewhat weak and lacklustre. Oh how wrong I was. Apart from conceding another early goal, the game plan and tactics were spotless and carried out very well. To an extent, Arteta proved his worth tonight.

Bernd Leno – 7.5

Nothing he could have really done about the goal. Other than that, he was prolific in the way he controlled the defence and made saves when he was needed.

Cedric Soares– 8

It brings me great joy to watch him and Tierney at full backs. He, very similar to his Scottish teammate, was always back to defend, spotless in transition and also dangerous in attack. Absolutely terrific on the pitch again, continuously producing amazing performances week in week out.

Pablo Mari – 8

Mari didn’t do much wrong. He was so solid in defence, as he was before being dropped from the starting line-up. Efficient in possession, a presence at the back, terrific defending – he did it all. NOT TO FORGET the way he outpaced Jamie Vardy in a sprint and bumped him off the ball.

David Luiz – 8.5

David Luiz is the complete opposite from last season. The goal that we conceded was not really his fault at all. However, his equaliser was class. From around 12 yards out, the way he powered the ball into the far post was absolutely class: the perfect combination of placement and power. Solid in defence and again efficient in possession.

Kieran Tierney – 8

My left back. Another outstanding performance on the left-hand side of the pitch. Back to defend, spotless in transition and again dangerous in attack. Again, a terrific performance in a red shirt – a sure bet at this stage.

Granit Xhaka – 7.5

The only reason Xhaka drops below an 8 is because of the conceded goal. Xhaka was way too casual on the left sideline and gave away possession extremely cheaply, resulting in the goal. Other than that, Granit Xhaka was again a rock in the midfield. So efficient in possession, amazing presence in defence and was terrific all round.

Mohammed Elneny – 7

Elneny played such a similar game to Xhaka, however to a lesser degree. The way he decided to guard Vardy in the middle to make it a 3v1 instead of the ever-present danger of Youri Tielemans entering the box made me slightly weep inside. However, he had an adequate performance for the rest of the 90 minutes.

Emile Smith-Rowe – 6.5

Smith-Rowe’s game was cut shot after about 40 minutes, due to an apparent injury. He was again a constant option in between the lines and constantly pulled the strings in attack. Disappointing to see him go off so early – hopefully it isn’t anything to serious.

Willian – 9

I have two questions for Mikel Arteta.

- Who was that at RM?

- What on earth has he done with Willian?

Willian played out of his mind. I forgot he was capable of producing such a performance. An assist off the free kick to Luiz’s header, followed by a massive part to play by assisting Pepe’s goal for Arsenal’s third. 3 assists in the last 2 games. That makes it 5 assists for the season, somehow tallying him as the highest assist provider for the Gunners this season. He also played a massive role in bringing the ball forward to win the penalty for the second goal.

Nicolas Pepe – 8.5

When this guy is on form, he is an absolute joy to watch. Despite his goal being a simple tap in, he was a total threat in attack. The way he picked up the ball and carried it forward was a pleasure to watch. Encouraging to see him back at LM and back on the score sheet.

Alexandre Lacazette – 8

I was sceptical to see Lacazette playing over Aubameyang. He was again a great option to bounce off and did well as a target man. Tucked away the penalty powerfully and played well overall.