Leicester City and Arsenal both had a terrible start to their season. Leicester faced a shock defeat at Hull on the first day of the season. Ranieri’s men always looked second best to a Hull side who had just their 13 fit first team players and were under a caretaker manager in Mike Phelan, a club which is in all sort of doldrums.
Arsenal faced Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool at Emirates in their first game, they had a good start to the game and lead 1-0 after missing a penalty but soon came a peach of a free-kick from Liverpool’s li’l magician, Philippe Coutinho and there was no stopping Liverpool after that as thy scored 3 in no time after that, Arsenal even though staged a comeback but they were way off their marks.
So, this weekend as Arsenal travel to Leicester, the match is expected to be a spectacle as both of the teams will look to put up a fight, so their strengths and could mount an early challenge for the title.
Both teams have certain game changers and we look up to 3 key battles in today’s game :
Alexis Sanchez vs Luis Hernandez:
Alexis Sanchez is arguably Arsenal’s best attacking player, and he’ll be up and against Leicester’s new recruitment Luis Hernandez. The Chilean on his day can give nightmares to any defender in the world but he’s been off form lately. Spaniard Hernandez had a good game at the heart of Leicester’s defense even in Leicester’s defeat against Hull. So, both of them will look to outclass each other and give an edge to their teams.
Nacho Monreal vs Riyad Mahrez:
Arsenal’s Mr. dependable Nacho Monreal would have a job on his hands at the King Power to tackle the trickeries and forward advances of Leicester’s magician Riyad Mahrez. Monreal has previously won the battle against him last season when the Algerian winger was left very ineffectual by the intelligent game-play and solid dependable defending of the Spanish fullback for the only two times in the league when he played against Arsenal. Arsene Wenger would be hoping for more of the same from his trusted left-back which will seriously limit The Foxes ability to influence the game. Ranieri would also be hoping that last year’s PFA player of the year will live up to the expectations and will win his battle against Monreal.
Santi Cazorla vs Nampalys Mendy:
Cazorla is likely to start in more advanced midfield role on Saturday against Foxes after the injury to Aaron Ramsey. Spaniard is the player Arsenal would be looking forward to for providing the creativity and panache in and around the Leicester’s final third which will carve out the chances for the likes of Theo Walcott, Alexis Sanchez or Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Claudio Ranieri would put his new defensive midfield general Nampalys Mendy can fill the gap vacated by N’golo Kante.
Mendy bears some resemblances with the player he’s actually replacing, N’Golo Kante, in his gameplay and Foxes fans would be looking forward to the Former Nice ace to restrict Cazorla and not allow him to dictate terms with his passing and movement. Not allowing Cazorla time and space would make the Arsenal attacks very predictable and toothless, thus this is a battle which will decide the outcome of the match depending on which gets the better of the other.
