Arsenal hosts Leicester City at the Emirates Stadium on July 7, 2020, in English Premier League action. The match will be aired live via NBCSN at 3:15 PM EST.
The Gunners have rediscovered their form after suffering defeats to Manchester City and Brighton when the season restarted. However, they have turned it around and won four in a row to return to Europa League contention. On the other hand, Leicester City picked up their first win since the lockdown with a 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace the last time out. The Foxes also ended a four-game losing skid in a timely fashion as they are looking to seal third place.
Entering Sunday’s matches, Arsenal sits on 7th place in the English Premier League team standings with a record of 12-13-8 and a total of 49 points. The Gunners suddenly find themselves in the Europa League race as they are just six points behind fifth-place Manchester United in the league table. They are also just three points behind the sixth-place Wolves which would earn a Europa League spot if Manchester City’s ban is upheld.
In their last match, the Gunners visited the Wolves and came away with an impressive 2-0 win. Bukayo Saka opened the scoring in the 43rd minute while Alexandre Lacazette sealed the victory with his own goal in the 86th minute. Arsenal has won four straight matches and they have given up one goal during that period.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leads the Gunners with a total of 19 goals scored this season. Lacazette has netted eight times while Nicolas Pepe has found the back of the net five times. Pepe leads the team with a total of six assists while Bukayo Saka four assists and one goal. Lacazette has also contributed a total of three assists.
The Gunners are 7th in England when it comes to goal scoring as they have scored a total of 49 on the year. They have also conceded a total of 41 goals which is 8th overall in the league and they are 8th in passing with a total of 30 assists on the year. Arsenal’s goal difference of +8 goals is also 7th best in the English top flight.
Leicester City is currently third in the English Premier League team standings with a record of 17-7-9 and a total of 58 points earned from those matches. The Foxes are just one point ahead of Chelsea in the table, three points ahead of Manchester United, and six points up on the Wolves. If they want to finish third, the Foxes will have to be sharp and capitalize on winnable matches like this.
In their last assignment, Leicester City earned a much-needed 3-0 win over Crystal Palace. Kelechi Iheanacho opened the scoring in the 49th minute while Jamie Vardy netted twice for the Foxes. The win was Leicester City’s first in their last five assignments and their first since the season resumed play last June 20th after the coronavirus suspension.
Jamie Vardy leads Leicester City with a total of 21 goals on the year. Ayoze Perez has found the back of the net seven times while Harvey Barnes has six goals for the Foxes. Barnes leads the team with a total of eight assists on the year while Youri Tielemans has six assists and three goals. Vardy has also contributed four assists for the Foxes.
Leicester City ranks third in the league in scoring with a total of 63 goals scored this year. The Foxers are the second-best defensive team in the Premier League with only 31 goals conceded. They rank third in assists with a total of 45 on the year and are also 3rd in goal difference at +32 on the season.
Arsenal is the 7th best club in England with a record of 8-5-3 and a total of 29 points from their home matches. On the other hand, Leicester City is the sixth-best road club in England with a record of 7-3-6 and 24 points earned from their away matches. These teams have played in a total of 142 meetings and Arsenal holds a 66-45-31 advantage. Leicester City won the reverse fixture 2-0 last November 2019 and has won three out of their last five head to head matchups.
Arsenal’s defense has been stout as they have produced a clean sheet in their last three assignments. This is the first time since 2017 that Arsenal has won three straight matches while holding their opponents scoreless in all the games. They have held their opponents’ scoreless in four out of their last six home matches.
Jamie Varner joined the exclusive Premier League 100-goal club as he helped the Foxes snap out of their spell. With Chelsea and Manchester United hot on their trail, the Foxes need a big game here especially with United, Sheffield United, and Tottenham still in their remaining schedule.
Please Note
Nicolas Pepe is expected to return for the Gunners after he missed their last match after his wife gave birth. Mesut Ozil continues to be hounded by a back injury and he missed the game last weekend. Arsenal’s injury woes continue with the likes of Bern Leno, Gabriel Martinelli, Pablo Mari, and Callum Chambers all out for the rest of the season.
James Maddison could return for Leicester City but that is no guarantee. Ben Chilwell has an Achilles issue while Ayoze Perez has something wrong with his ankle and there is no assurance that both will play here. Likewise, Ricardo Pereira and Daniel Amartey remain on the sidelines for the Foxes.
This has to be the most anticipated match on Tuesday and it will be an exciting affair. I think that both teams will be able to get their offense going but the Gunners have been good at home and the Foxes have struggled at Arsenal’s home field. Leicester City has not won an away match against Arsenal since 1973 and that 43-year drought should continue here.
Prediction: Arsenal (+140)
These two teams are in the Top 7 in the Premier League in goal scoring and we should be seeing a high-scoring match here. Arsenal has scored a total of 11 goals since the actions resumed while Leicester City has netted five times in their last five assignments.
Prediction: Both teams to score – YES (-165)
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