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Leicester City missed out on a chance to go second in the Premier League, losing to Arsenal at the King Power stadium by a 1-3 scoreline. The Gunners rise above rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the table to ninth place, albeit having played two games more.
Leicester City started the game like a house on fire, with Youri Tielemans giving the Foxes the lead in the 6th minute. The Belgian took advantage of a ponderous Arsenal defense before rifling a bullet of a shot past Bernd Leno into the bottom corner.
Arsenal huffed and puffed for much of the first half, but it was two set-pieces that turned the game around for them. David Luiz guided an excellent header from Willian's free-kick into the net before Alexandre Lacazette slammed home a penalty, courtesy a Wilfried Ndidi handball, to give the Gunners the lead before half-time.
Nicolas Pepe gave Arsenal much-needed breathing room in the 52nd minute after excellent interplay and some fortunate deflections allowed him to tap the ball home from close range. The Gunners controlled much of the rest of the game, seeing it out with relative ease to earn crucial three points.
On that note, here are the five major talking points from this game:
#1 The best and worst of Willian in one game
The sight of Willian's name on the team sheet is usually met with horror by Arsenal's online fanbase, but today he was one of Arsenal's most effective players.
It didn't start all too well, however, given that Willian failed to show for Granit Xhaka's pass that eventually led to Leicester City's opening goal. He continued to make frustrating decisions on the ball, opting for safety-first options everytime he had the ball.
Yet, the Brazilian's head never went down and he produced a peach of a free-kick to aid David Luiz in equalizing for Arsenal. Willian was involved in Arsenal's third goal as well, scrambling the ball through for Pepe to tap the ball into the net.
Despite all the vitriol aimed at him, Willian remains an experienced option for Arteta. As the games come thick and fast at the business end of the season, it's only beneficial for Arsenal if he works his way back into form.
#2 Jamie Vardy feeling the absence of fans
The King Power is usually a fortress for Leicester City in seasons gone by, but much like Liverpool, the Foxes are feeling the effects of an empty stadium more than most. Six wins and six defeats at home is a record not to be admired, and Brendan Rodgers will hope things turn around sooner rather than later.
Jamie Vardy is perhaps a player feeling the absence of fans more than most. He did not trouble the Arsenal defense as he usually does, looking a shadow of his previous self.
The beats of the King Power usually seem to power Vardy on as he runs around the pitch, but David Luiz and Pablo Mari - hardly the most speedy of opponents - were rarely in trouble.
Some may point to his age, but Vardy has scored his fair share this season away from home. 11 of his 14 goals this season have come on the road - a staggering 78.5%.
#3 Nicolas Pepe is finally starting to repay his fee
The emergence of Emile Smith-Rowe and the brilliance of Bukayo Saka have seen many question Nicolas Pepe's future at Arsenal. However, the Ivorian has responded to the challenge excellently in recent weeks.
Pepe was at his best today, twisting Luke Thomas inside and out, resulting in the youngster being booked and getting substituted at half time. He earned the free-kick that led to Arsenal's equalizer and forced Ndidi into a handball that resulted in the Gunners' second.
Pepe deservedly earned a tap-in for Arsenal's third and created plenty of dangerous situations throughout, dovetailing well with Cedric. It only bodes well for Mikel Arteta as he juggles plenty of players coming into form at the right time.
#4 Brendan Rodgers needs Leicester to regroup soon
From a position where Leicester City were the closest challengers to Liverpool, the Foxes bungled their run in to finish fifth in the league last season. Brendan Rodgers risks something similar happening this time around if he doesn't arrest some unusually poor performances of late.
The Foxes were dismal against Slavia Praha to go crashing out of the UEFA Europa League. While it may aid them to keep fit in the run-in, the mental disappointment of having only the FA Cup to compete for will have an effect.
Leicester rarely troubled Arsenal in this game, even after taking the lead. The Foxes looked to have run out of steam in the second half - and Rodgers has to hope his team finds their feet once again to preserve their chances of UEFA Champions League qualification.
#5 Mikel Arteta is slowly but surely turning things around for Arsenal
The fine margins of football are something Mikel Arteta is surely familiar with. The Arsenal boss was three minutes away from a UEFA Europa League exit against Benfica, only to watch his side muster a brilliant comeback.
Six minutes into the Leicester game, it looked like more pain was to follow for Arsenal, but Arteta's charges produced another impressive comeback.
It wasn't blood and thunder - despite naming a second-string eleven, Arteta's tactics were clear - control possession and utilize quick interplay in front of the box to breach Leicester's low block.
Arsenal may still only be in ninth place, but have the fourth-best defense in the league, and have ended a couple of hoodoos away to big teams under Arteta. There's something brewing here and Arsenal fans would do well to be patient.
