Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was full of praise for his players following a dramatic 2-2 draw against Leicester City in the Premier League.
The game kicked off with Arsenal asserting their dominance early on, controlling possession and keeping Leicester, also known as the Foxes, on the defensive.
The first big chance for Arsenal came about 15 minutes in when Gabriel Martinelli found himself in a good position but hesitated on his weaker right foot, allowing Leicester’s defense to recover and shut him down.
Just five minutes later, Martinelli made up for that missed opportunity by scoring Arsenal’s opening goal.
He took a shot from the center of the box, and while the attempt was not clean, the ball trickled into the bottom corner of the net.
This was Martinelli’s first goal of the season, and the hope is that it will boost his confidence moving forward.
Despite the lead, Arsenal struggled to break down Leicester’s physical defense.
The Foxes defended well, committing to hard tackles and earning a few yellow cards along the way.
Arsenal had a chance to double their lead just before half-time when Kai Havertz narrowly missed a header.
However, just before the break, Martinelli whipped in a perfect cross to Leandro Trossard, who calmly finished to give Arsenal a 2-0 lead heading into halftime.
At this point, it appeared that Leicester had little chance of mounting a comeback.
The second half, however, took a surprising turn. Less than a minute in, Leicester pushed forward, and William Saliba fouled Jamie Vardy, earning a yellow card for holding him back.
From the resulting free-kick, Leicester pulled a goal back after a header deflected off Gabriel’s shoulder, catching Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya off guard and narrowing the score to 2-1.
Suddenly, the match was up for grabs again.
Arsenal responded by regaining control of the game, with Bukayo Saka delivering a dangerous corner that Gabriel nearly converted, only for Leicester goalkeeper Hermansen to make a brilliant save.
Just a few minutes later, Trossard was set up by Saka, but Hermansen again denied Arsenal’s attempts to extend their lead.
As the second half progressed, Leicester began to grow into the game, with Facundo Buonanotte making a threatening run down the wing.
Though his shot didn’t trouble Raya, it signaled that Leicester’s confidence was growing.
Jossie shocked Arsenal with a stunning volley to level the score at 2-2 with 25 minutes remaining.
Arsenal pressed hard for the winning goal, with multiple opportunities coming from corners, but they couldn’t capitalize.
Havertz had a good chance but shot straight at Hermansen, who continued to stand firm in goal.
With time running out, Declan Rice set up Trossard for another great opportunity, but Hermansen made a critical save to keep the score even.
In the closing moments, Saka attempted one of his signature moves, cutting inside and drawing a foul on the edge of the box, but the referee waved play on.
Arteta brought on young Ethan Nwaneri, who almost made an instant impact, but Arsenal’s final chance came from a corner, with Luca Calafiori’s header being saved by Hermansen once again.
Despite Arsenal’s dominance and 29 attempts, the game ended in a 2-2 draw, with both teams sharing the points.