Arsenal’s blushes were spared late on at the Emirates as a result of two late goals in the Premier League against Leicester City.
The Gunners returned to the Emirates in the Premier League following two challenging tests on the road.
Mikel Arteta’s side claimed three points late on against newly-promoted Leicester City, sealing the win in a less desired fashion after being 2-0 up in the first half.
Justin James’ two goals kept the Foxes well in the tie until Wilfred Ndidi’s late own goal handed Arsenal the lead, with Kai Havertz then rubbing salt in the wounds in the 99th minute.
It was a deserved three points for the Gunners after a dominant 90 minutes, but not everyone is singing Arteta’s praises.
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Steve Nichol dismisses Arsenal as Premier League title favourites
Arsenal’s win saw them go just one point off the summit of the table, as Liverpool lead the pack after six games played.
Fellow title rivals Manchester City dropped points to Newcastle United, seeing Arteta close the gap between himself and Pep Guardiola, with the two clubs level on points.
After match day six, it’s suggested that Arsenal are now the favourites to win the title in May, something that Liverpool icon Steve Nichol does not agree with.
“I don’t know why [Arsenal are favourites] after watching that today, they got lucky,” Nichol explained on ESPN.
“You’ve got to rely on an own goal, the point is when you’re 2-0 up and you believe you should be champions, you kill the opposition off.
“If you don’t kill them off by scoring more goals, you completely nullify them from going the other way.”
Nichol’s concerns are valid after seeing Arsenal’s two-goal lead discarded by Leicester at the Emirates, handing Steve Cooper’s side the chance to get back in the game.
While two late goals ultimately handed the hosts the three points on the day, the scoreline tells an opposing story to what unfolded on the pitch over 90 minutes.
Arsenal dominated Leicester in late win
Given how the game had shaped up, the Foxes may not have believed that they had found a way to earn a result at the Emirates, with Arsenal dominating the fixture from start to finish.
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It wasn’t just possession that the hosts dominated, seeing 75% of the ball, but also the activity in the final third, recording nine big chances to Leicester’s zero, and a total of 36 shots on goal to the visitor’s eight, via Sofascore.
The Gunners were relentless going forward, but to echo Nichol’s concern, Arteta will be cautious of how close his side came to dropping points despite their ruling over 90 minutes.
Fortunately, it panned out to be an afternoon to celebrate in North London, with a crucial three points collected to see the title race heat up.
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