Monday night football is not the most exciting of prospects in the Premier League, as after all the buzz and excitement of the weekend, most of the drive in fans would have been extinguished, and the clashes are more often than not seen as unnecessary distractions not generating much interest apart from among fans of the clubs involved.
Arsenal came into the match very much the form team of the two, having won their previous nine matches in all competitions consecutively, and would have been buoyed on by Leicester’s poor record at the Gunners home ground, with the Foxes having not picked up victory at Arsenal in 26 matches across all competitions since a 2-0 victory in 1973.
The victory moved Arsenal up to fourth on the table, and their fans would be pleased with the progress made so far under Unai Emery. Here are three talking points from the match.
He was also made the scapegoat for Germany’s dismal World Cup performance, and his treatment by the media and football authorities led him to announce his international retirement in July, in a move which was praised as the right one in many quarters.
He began the season in an indifferent form, being merely a passenger as Arsenal lost their opening two games to Manchester City and Chelsea, but he has picked up form in recent weeks.
His creative abilities came to the fore after the break, as he was at the peak of his powers on the day, laying on a delightful defense splitting through ball for Bellerin who squared for Aubameyang to put the home side ahead.
The former Germany international was withdrawn in the ding embers of the match to a fully deserved standing ovation from the crowd, and if he can keep up with this form, Arsenal could match up with anybody.
#2 Arsenal could be up for something big this season
Unai Emery arrived in the summer, and not many expected too much from him, given his relatively untested levels on the biggest stage (bar his underwhelming spell with PSG), while the club’s comparatively low-key transfer activities meant that Arsenal was seen as not capable of competing with the Manchester United clubs, Liverpool and Chelsea.
Changes were needed and Unai Emery made the decision to start Aubameyang and Lacazette together, and this tactical tweak has reaped immense dividends as the club has gone on a winning run of 10 matches consecutively in all competitions.
The Gabonese international scored 98 goals in just 144 league appearances for the Signal Iduna outfit, including the record-breaking haul of 31 in 32 in the 2017 season which won him the Bundesliga Golden Boot award.
The 28-year-old possesses pace in abundance, is strong in the air and a composed finisher. So it, therefore, came as a surprise that he wasn’t more actively pursued by Europe’s bigger clubs.