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Untold Arsenal is fully backing the campaign supported by AISA – the Arsenal Independent Supporters’ Association to protest as best we can against the charging of £14.95 for supporters to watch today’s game against Leicester on Sky.
We’ll be following it on Arsenal.com assuming they have their normal commentary running, or failing that on the radio.
But of course it is important to know about those jolly chaps who will be running around a lot during the match – I speak of course of the journalists who are let into the ground, and who after imbibing somewhat will be hobbling over to the toilets.
And then there are the players. What of them?
Willian and Dani Ceballos didn’t play against Rapid Vienna so might well play today, and Thomas Partey might start his first League match. We imagine The Athletic will be watching what we have to say, having followed up our piece on Ozil using the law to force a move away from Arsenal, with a piece on Ozil using the law to force a move away from Arsenal.
The BBC suggests we will win 2-1.
Between 11 February 1995 and 11 August 2017 Arsenal and Leicester played each other 22 times and we didn’t lose a single game. Since then it has not been so good…
| Date | Game | Res | Score | Competition |
| 09 May 2018 | Leicester City v Arsenal | L | 3-1 | Premier League |
| 22 Oct 2018 | Arsenal v Leicester City | W | 3-1 | Premier League |
| 28 Apr 2019 | Leicester City v Arsenal | L | 3-0 | Premier League |
| 09 Nov 2019 | Leicester City v Arsenal | L | 2-0 | Premier League |
| 07 Jul 2020 | Arsenal v Leicester City | D | 1-1 | Premier League |
| 23 Sep 2020 | Leicester City v Arsenal | W | 0-2 | League Cup |
But as the BBC point out if we just look at the home games, we have had a run of 20 wins and seven draws in the last 27 games. Before that we had a previous run of poor results. But the run was short, and we can imagine that negative run is now over.
| Date | Game | Res | Score | Competition |
| 8 Sep 1973 | Arsenal v Leicester City | L | 0-2 | Division One |
| 29 Dec 1973 | Leicester City v Arsenal | L | 2-0 | Division One |
| 17 Aug 1974 | Leicester City v Arsenal | W | 0-1 | Division One |
| 10 Sep 1974 | Arsenal v Leicester City | D | 1-1 | League Cup |
| 18 Sep 1974 | Leicester City v Arsenal | L | 2-1 | League Cup |
Anyway we haven’t lost a League home game this calendar year and have only drawn two, since we lost to Chelsea on 29 December last year.
We also tend to score at home these days. In the last 73 home games we have only failed to score three times – and never against Leicester. We also haven’t lost a home league game in October for 18 years. (Again, the BBC found that one. It really is quite clever.
Leicester on the other hand like losing lose three consecutive league matches. They did it last in February last year – and then sacked their manager. And they have never ever never won their opening three away games in the league. Oh yes and Brenda Rodgers never beats us on our turf either.
So the teams…
Sky Money, in spite of wanting to charge us huge amounts of money to watch, are not giving us a probable line up on their site. But 90 min do oblige with
Leno;
Bellerin, Luiz, Gabriel, Tierney;
Partey, Xhaka, Saka;
Pepe, Lacazette, Aubameyang.
BT Sport have on their website “Live: Arsenal v Leicester City | Premier League | BT Sport Teams. The team lineups will be available an hour before kick-off. Check back then to see who’s playing.” Click on that link and you are told “Arsenal 1 – 1 Leicester City .” So the BT time machine eh?
The Standard suggests
Leno;
Luiz, Gabriel, Tierney; Bellerin,
Partey, Xhaka, Maitland-Niles;
Willian, Lacazette, Aubameyang
Sports Keeda suggests
Bernd Leno;
Hector Bellerin, David Luiz, Gabriel, Kieran Tierney;
Dani Ceballos, Thomas Partey, Bukayo Saka;
Willian, Alexandre Lacazette, Aubameyang
While the Guardian gives us
Leno;
Bellerin, Luiz, Gabriel, Tierney;
Ceballas, Partey, Xhaka,
Willian, Aubameyang, Saka
So putting all the votes together we get
Leno (4)
Bellerin (4), Luiz (4), Gabriel (4), Tierney (4);
Ceballas (2), Partey (4), Xhaka, (3)
Willian (3), Aubameyang (4), Saka (3)
Don’t forget, don’t watch it on Sky. They’ve been very naughty.
- Arsenal: fewest tackles, fewest fouls, best defence. What next?
- Arsenal v Leicester: the boycott game
- Arsenal’s squad list in comparison with others; and could Ozil legally walk out?
Was the Aubameyang’s early goal for Arsenal off Lacazette’s assist corner kick offside.? Did VAR check it? I am shivering! I want our Arsenal to win the match. And I hope to see Leno not repeat that early howler he made again up to the end of the match.
In the previous article posting before this one, I started a two edged sword widths on the flanks in my Arsenal starting XI and bench making for our Leicester match which the Gunners narrowly lost again by a lone goal to the opposition in two consecutive weeks running.
But as for our Leicester game, Mikel Arteta the Gunners gaffer apparently did not buy-in into my two edged sword widths attack of 442 formation plan. Which I had thought out very well and believe if Arteta adopts the plan for the Gunners properly to play to it, they will gun down at least 3 hefty foxes in the match long before fox Vardy had the chance to devour a Gunner that he devoured in the game when he came on into the match in the 2nd half.
I think Arteta went for the 433 formation that he had the Gunners played to in the match to allow him start Cebbalos for the game. Which after all did not work but failed to click as Arsenal lost yet another full 3 points to the opposition team.
Arsenal have now lost 3 Premier League matches out of the six that they’ve played this season. And apart of this their average performance that is not title winning performance, it cannot be argued that it is neither a top-four place finish performance.
I know the Europa League competition is another route that Arsenal can explore to play in the UCL next season but if they win it this season.
But nevertheless, a top-four place finish this season will be a better secure route for Arsenal to play in the UCL next season if they attain it this season than to rely on winning the ELC this season to make a UCL spot next season. For, Arsenal winning the ELC this season can’t be guaranteed they will win it.
Therefore, and henceforth with, as from their next match away to Man Utd in the PL next week, the Gunners must find a way to beat the Red Devils in the match and bring an end to their losing matches woe this season in the big games. But start to win the remaining ones that are left for them to play.
And to think of it, Arsenal are not yet out of the race to win the PL title this season. This is because the Gunners still have the chance to collect up to the 96 points that are still there for them to collect and in addition to the 9 points that they’ve already collected, that will bring Arsenal to a total of 105 points they garnered at the end of this season if they collect the 96 points. And this will be a new record breaking 105 points Premier League title win by Arsenal.
Some people reading my comment may say I reaching for the optical illusion. But NO! I am not reaching for it but saying what is still there possible for Arsenal to achieve this season.
I personally think Cebbalos is the weak-link in the Arsenal starting XI team for Leicester.