- Arsenal beat Leicester 4-2 on Saturday afternoon with two stoppage-time efforts
- Gunners had thrown away a two-goal half-time lead following James Justin brace
- Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz scored important goals as Arsenal closed the gap on Man City
Arsenal produced two stoppage-time strikes to beat Leicester 4-2 on Saturday afternoon, having surrendered a two-goal lead in the second half.
The Gunners strolled to a two-goal half-time lead against an apathetic Leicester side with composed efforts from Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard putting the Gunners in complete control.
However, they inexplicably surrendered their lead after the break as James Justin scored twice, with Trossard and Kai Havertz scoring in the dying minutes to spare their blushes and close the gap on Manchester City.
How the game unfolded
Arsenal dominated the early proceedings as Leicester sat inside their own penalty area but it took until 15 minutes for the hosts to trouble Mads Hermansen's goal. Bukayo Saka's distance effort was dealt with comfortably by the goalkeeper and he was surprisingly untested as Martinelli fired over the crossbar from close range 30 seconds later.
However, the Brazilian winger made no mistake in the 20th minute as he fired the Gunners ahead. Jurrien Timber's accurate cross to the penalty spot was tucked away emphatically by Martinelli, with Jamie Vardy and Steve Cooper picking up yellow cards in the aftermath as Leicester felt they should have been awarded a free kick prior to the opener.
Martinelli could have doubled his tally halfway through the first period but his effort was parried by the increasingly busy Hermansen, with Kai Havertz's header falling inches wide of the far post ten minutes later.
But Martinelli turned into the provider in first-half stoppage time as Arsenal grabbed a crucial and deserved second moments before the whistle. Martinelli feathered a pass towards Trossard inside the penalty area and the Belgian redeemed himself for his red card at the Etihad Stadium last weekend with a pinpoint side-footed finish.
Having produced just one shot of any description in the first half, Leicester somehow reduced the deficit just two minutes after half-time. An attacking free kick was redirected goalward by James Justin and a huge deflection off Havertz wrong-footed David Raya in the Arsenal goal.
Arsenal almost restored their cushion just eight minutes after the restart and it was unsurprisingly a corner that caused chaos. Gabriel's powerful header was rebuffed by Hermansen and Riccardo Calafiori's subsequent effort was eventually scrambled clear by the Leicester defence.
However, despite Trossard clipping the post in the 53rd minute, it was Leicester who produced a stunning leveller moments after the hour mark. It was Justin who found the back of the net once more, producing a sumptuous volley that slammed the inside of the post on its way in and left the home fans silent.
Havertz and Trossard were next to be denied by Hermansen, who played himself into trouble as the latter fired at him from closer range, with substitute Ethan Nwaneri also forcing a save out of the Leicester goalkeeper following his midweek brace in the Carabao Cup.
But in the 94th-minute, Leicester's resolve was agonisingly broken. A deep corner was redirected goalward thanks to deflection off Wilfred Ndidi and trundled over the line, with Havertz adding a little gloss to the scoreline five minutes later after poking into an empty net.
Arsenal player ratings (4-2-3-1)
GK: David Raya - 6/10 - Despite being an injury doubt for this one, Raya started between the sticks. He was helpless for both of Justin's efforts and wasn't tested otherwise.
RB: Jurrien Timber - 7/10 - Provided the assist for Arsenal's opener with an excellent cross and was a constant threat on the overlap as the Gunners caused problems down Leicester's left-hand side.
CB: William Saliba - 6/10 - Surrendered the free kick from which Leicester scored after tripping Vardy and endured one or two unconvincing moments against the Foxes forward.
CB: Gabriel - 6/10 - Competent in his own half under little pressure for the most part and almost continued his scoring streak with a near-post header after the break.
LB: Riccardo Calafiori - 6/10 - Stepped into midfield regularly, including some artistic runs with the ball at his feet. Looked a little choppy defensively and almost earned a second yellow card for a trip in the second half.
DM: Thomas Partey - 6/10 - Kept play ticking in midfield and was seldom tested by Leicester's attacking players despite the Foxes scoring twice.
DM: Declan Rice - 7/10 - A few tame set-piece deliveries aside it was another solid outing from the England international, who unsurprisingly dominated the midfield battle against a deep defence.
RW: Bukayo Saka - 8/10 - Utterly relentless down Arsenal's right during the first half and was similarly sharp after the break. His deep corner forced the Gunners' 94th-minute effort.
AM: Leandro Trossard - 9/10 - He certainly had a more positive impact than he did last weekend, scoring and producing the winning moment in stoppage time. It was an excellent and energetic display from the Belgian.
LW: Gabriel Martinelli - 8/10 - Scored and assisted as Arsenal ran rampant in the first half but struggled to influence proceedings after the break. A strong showing from the Brazilian.
ST: Kai Havertz - 7/10 - Unfortunate with the deflection that ultimately brought Leicester back into the game but caused issues for the visitors with some clever runs across the final third. Grabbed a late goal himself.
Substitutes
SUB: Raheem Sterling (74' for Martinelli) - 6/10
SUB: Ethan Nwaneri (85' for Partey) - 7/10
SUB: Gabriel Jesus (90+8' for Trossard) - N/A
Subs not used: Neto (GK), Jakub Kiwior, Josh Nichols, Maldini Kacurri, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Jorginho.
Manager
Mikel Arteta - 7/10 - Well, that wasn't quite what Arteta was expecting. A bonkers game that was almost incredibly ugly for Arsenal, but the Gunners showed their resilience once again to secure an important win.
Leicester player ratings (4-2-3-1)
GK: Mads Hermansen - 8/10 - Commanded his box well from Arsenal's set pieces and made some excellent saves. Despite the odd poor pass, he kept Leicester in the game during the second half with a string of sensational stops.
RB: James Justin - 8/10 - Given the runaround by Martinelli in the first half but roared back with an unlikely brace after the break. The right-back's second was an absolute screamer.
CB: Wout Faes - 7/10 - The strongest and most composed member of Leicester's backline and did admirably against a wave of pressure in the closing stages.
CB: Caleb Okoli - 6/10 - Some questionable distribution put Leicester under unnecessary pressure at points but Okoli grew into the game as Leicester defended for their lives.
LB: Victor Kristiansen - 6/10 - Offered very little support by Mavididi ahead of him and was subsequently given a tough time by Saka. Like his teammates, he improved as the minutes ticked down.
DM: Oliver Skipp - 5/10 - A few naughty challenges from the former Tottenham midfielder earned him a yellow card and he could have easily been sent off in the closing stages.
DM: Harry Winks - 6/10 - Another ex-Spurs midfielder offered a similar performance to Skipp. Spent large sections of the game chasing shadows but ran himself into the ground.
RW: Facundo Buonanotte - 6/10 - Showed glimpses of his quality on the rare occasions he got on the ball and grabbed an assist for Justin's first strike.
AM: Wilfred Ndidi - 5/10 - Technically operated as an attacking midfielder but could barely get a kick of the ball in the first half. Much better after half time and he set up Justin's second with a searching cross.
LW: Stephy Mavididi - 5/10 - Couldn't influence the game in either half and was unable to continue his scoring streak.
ST: Jamie Vardy - 6/10 - The 37-year-old usually enjoys a goal against Arsenal but was more provider on this occasion. Caused a few issues and won the free kick that led to Justin's header.
Substitutes
SUB: Jordan Ayew (85' for Buonanotte) - 6/10
SUB: Bobby Decordova-Reid (90' for Mavididi) - N/A
SUB: Bilal El Khannous (90' for Skipp) - N/A
SUB: Abdul Fatawu (90+8' for Okoli) - N/A
SUB: Odsonne Edouard (90+8' for Ndidi) - N/A
Subs not used: Danny Ward (GK), Conor Coady, Ricardo Pereira, Hamza Choudhury.
Manager
Steve Cooper - 6/10 - After a testing and hostile midweek clash with Walsall, this was a cruel end to the game for the Welshman. After a spirited comeback, Leicester were left heartbroken as they conceded late twice.
