Arsenal claimed three vital points in the Premier League this afternoon, beating Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester City side 2-0 at the King Power Stadium.
However, Mikel Arteta’s men didn’t have it all their own way throughout the contest, having to wait until the 81st minute after substitute Mikel Merino broke the deadlock.
The Spanish midfielder, who came on to feature as a central striker, scored his second of the game just minutes later, ghosting in at the far post to tap home from Leandro Trossard’s cross.
His goals ensured that the Gunners move within four points of leaders Liverpool ahead of their clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers, piling the pressure on Arne Slot’s side to get a result.
However, despite the victory, numerous first-team players failed to impress, potentially putting their starting roles at risk ahead of their next clash against West Ham United.
Arsenal’s poor performers against Leicester
Although he managed to get an assist for Merino’s second goal, winger Trossard looked largely ineffective throughout the contest with the Foxes, unable to take full advantage of the opportunity handed his way due to the injury crisis.
The Belgian was caught offside twice and missed one big chance in the final third, unable to put the Gunners ahead before the double from the substitute.
Midfielder Martin Odegaard has for so long been the player to get Arteta’s side out of trouble, starring with his phenomenal ball-playing ability, often teeing up players in the final third.
However, the Norwegian was largely wasteful in today’s triumph, losing possession 14 times, and only managing one effort on goal, with this afternoon certainly one to forget for the captain.
Despite the lack of impact by the aforementioned duo, one other player looked poor throughout in the East Midlands, undoubtedly leading to questions about his future at the club.
The Arsenal player who dropped a 3/10 against Leicester
Given the recent injuries to the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz in the final third, the trip to face Leicester presented an opportunity for winger Raheem Sterling to get a rare start for the Gunners.
The Englishman joined the club on loan from Chelsea in the summer but has since been restricted to cup action and minutes from the substitutes bench.
However, he started for Arteta’s side this afternoon but did himself no favours whatsoever, failing to impress – potentially ending his career at the top level of the English game.
The 30-year-old only featured for 69 minutes before being replaced by eventual match-winner Merino, only notching a total of 36 touches during his time on the pitch.
|
Raheem Sterling’s stats for Arsenal against Leicester |
|
|---|---|
|
Statistics |
Tally |
|
Minutes played |
69 |
|
Touches |
36 |
|
Possession lost |
13x |
|
Pass accuracy |
19/24 (79%) |
|
Dribbles completed |
0/3 (0%) |
|
Shots taken |
1 |
|
Duels won |
1/6 (16%) |
|
Stats via SofaScore |
|
Like Odegaard, he was wasteful, losing the ball 13 times and only achieving a pass accuracy rate of 79%, highlighting why Arteta decided to withdraw him from the contest.
Sterling also failed to complete any of his three attempted dribbles, registering just one shot, looking way below the level of a player who’s featured at the top level for the majority of his career.
As a result of his showing, he was handed a measly 3/10 match rating by Football London’s Tom Cannon, the lowest of any player in the squad, showcasing his lack of impact.
Given his disappointing showing, the boss has been left with no choice but to leave him out of future starting lineups, evidently not good enough to cut it for a side pushing for a league title.
With his loan deal set to expire at the end of the season, supporters will be glad to see the back of Sterling after his lack of impact, with his showing demonstrating the need for added investment this summer.
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