LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 25: Raheem Sterling of Arsenal celebrates scoring his team's fourth goal with teammate Bukayo Saka during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Arsenal and Bolton Wanderers at Emirates Stadium on September 25, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
With their first five Premier League matches behind them, Arsenal have weathered the storm of their early schedule that looked tough on paper, and was only further compounded by the unforeseen hazards that could have cost them dearly if not for the resolution of the side and manager Mikel Arteta. From costly injuries to baffling officiating, the Gunners were forced to show their mettle early on and made what would have otherwise been a series of frustrating circumstances – almost entirely on the road, mind you – turn into a gauntlet that left them more galvanized than anything.
According to SBNation, Arsenal now have a different task ahead of them: managing expectations and refocusing. The upcoming slate is favorable in many ways, as Arsenal play their next three matches before the October international break at The Emirates, welcoming two teams from near the bottom of the table with a high-profiled Champions League home fixture nestled in between.
After passing their first test with flying colors, can Mikel Arteta’s side maintain their momentum?
Here are five talking points ahead of Saturday’s match
Opposition
Leicester City are back in the PL after a one year trip back down to the Championship, and their return just feels right. Talismanic club legend Jamie Vardy has been slowed a little by time, but was already in mid-season banter form by the beginning of the season. Their return, however, has not gone as well as they would have liked, which probably comes down to their abrupt managerial change.
Brendan Rogers was canned before the end of the the 2022/23 season, and interim manager Dean Smith could not stave off relegation. Enter Enzo Maresca, who was hired in June of 2023. Part of the Pep Guardiola manager tree, he guided the Foxes to their best ever start to a Championship campaign before the former PL champs won the title and secured promotion.
But Enzo, like so many managers before him, could not resist the chance to manage a top side, as he joined Chelsea to become their 5th manager in as many seasons. In his absence the Foxes hired former Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper, whose tenure has seen LCFC begin their campaign with three losses and two draws from their first five matches.
Last Time Out
The last time Arsenal hosted Leicester City was the home opener in the 22/23 season, when Gabriel Jesus made his Emirates debut and exploded in a performance that had every Arsenal fan dazzled by the former Man City man. He did a little bit of everything, showing his quality as a dribbler and a target man, putting two goals in the net in the first half and coming perilously close to a hattrick.
Outside of an errant William Saliba header that resulted in an own goal, the Gunners dominated the match, winning 4-2, with Granit Xhaka and Gabriel Martinelli chipping in goals in the second half.
All-time record vs Leicester: 72 W/45 D/33 L
Last five matches vs Leicester: 5 W/0 D/0 L
Injuries/ Suspension
The good: Leandro Trossard, who served a one-match ban on Wednesday for his red card at City for the dark arts delaying the restart, is back and available for selection.
The bad: Following the exhausting draw with City, David Raya picked up a muscular injury that saw him sidelined against Bolton. If he is unavailable on Saturday, Neto could receive his first-ever start for Arsenal.
Ben White and Jurrien Timber were both absent against Bolton as well. White, who was on the bench against City as he nursed a minor injury, was forced into action and played admirably, while Timber played 90 minutes for the third straight match before being subbed for cramps. It sounds as though Timber should be ready for selection as he has trained this week. White may be available, but is less of a given.
Martin Ødegaard, Mikel Merino, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Alexander Zinchenko, and Kieran Tierney all remain unavailable.
Predicted Lineup
suspect Timber will get the start as White continues to recover.
I will assume Raya starts until further notice. He is too good not to. Last match prediction accuracy: 7/11
Block Out Noise
The narrative surrounding Arsenal since the Manchester City match has been exhausting. Accusations of “The Dark Arts” by City players and castigations from various pundits and social media accounts for gamesmanship and time wasting has seen pockets of criticisms pop up that only serve to undermine an otherwise elite side that have been put through the wringer already and, somehow, have yet to lose a match.
They say that winning cures all, which is exactly what the Arsenal did when they kick-started their EFL campaign with a 5-1 win over Bolton Wanderers on Wednesday. On Saturday, they welcome a winless Leicester with a similar goal in mind – to win, convincingly. The Gunners looked completely unfazed on Wednesday, and that’s exactly what is needed coming out of a contentious weekend fixture.
Arteta has navigated the first bit of choppy waters and has kept the ship upright as they arrive back in slightly more favorable seas. Leicester may not be a challenge on par with the likes of City and Aston Villa, but they will nevertheless give it their all against a side that is still catching their breath from Sunday. But if Arsenal have shown us anything this season, its that if there’s a will, there’s a way.
COYG
WHO: Arsenal vs Leicester City
WHAT: Premier League Match Week 6
WHEN: Saturday, September 28th, 10:00am EST/7:00am PST/3:00pm GMT
WHERE: The Emirates Stadium, London
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