After contrasting victories in their EFL Cup matches earlier in the week, Arsenal and Leicester City are set to face off in a Premier League showdown this Saturday at the Emirates Stadium.
Both teams come into the game with differing performances in their midweek fixtures.
Arsenal enjoyed a dominant 5-1 win over Bolton Wanderers, while Leicester needed their goalkeeper’s heroics to scrape through in a penalty shootout against Walsall after a goalless draw.
For Arsenal, Wednesday’s match was an opportunity to showcase their young talents.
Facing League One side Bolton, manager Mikel Arteta handed starts to four teenagers, none of whom had been born when Arsenal first played at the Emirates Stadium.
Sixteen-year-old goalkeeper Jack Porter made history as Arsenal’s youngest-ever men’s team starter.
While Porter missed out on a clean sheet, academy player Ethan Nwaneri shone with two goals, and regular first-team players Raheem Sterling, Kai Havertz, and Declan Rice also contributed to the comfortable win.
As a result, Arsenal advanced to the EFL Cup’s fourth round, where they will face Preston North End.
Their unbeaten record in all competitions this season remains intact, but their focus now shifts back to the Premier League.
Last week, they had a dramatic encounter at the Etihad Stadium against Manchester City, where they were moments away from securing a rare victory.
Despite Leandro Trossard’s red card forcing a more defensive approach, Arsenal was denied a win when John Stones scored an equalizer deep into stoppage time, leading to a 2-2 draw.
That draw meant Arsenal missed the chance to overtake Manchester City at the top of the Premier League standings.
They currently sit in fourth place, just two points behind the reigning champions. Arsenal has enjoyed a strong 2024, with a 70% win rate so far this calendar year, a record dating back to 1932.
Their home form has been particularly impressive, especially against newly promoted teams, having gone unbeaten in 39 consecutive Premier League matches at the Emirates against such sides.
The last time they lost to a newly promoted team at home was in 2010 against Newcastle United.
While Arsenal impressed against Bolton, Leicester struggled to break down Walsall in their EFL Cup tie.
Despite dominating possession, the Foxes couldn’t find the back of the net against their League Two opponents, and the match ended 0-0.
They eventually needed penalties to progress to the next round, with goalkeeper Danny Ward delivering a standout performance by saving three spot-kicks.
Ward, who famously helped Huddersfield Town reach the Premier League in 2017 with his penalty-saving ability, proved decisive once again as Ricardo Pereira, Conor Coady, and Oliver Skipp converted their penalties to send Leicester through.
Despite their cup success, Leicester’s struggles in breaking down lower-league opposition don’t inspire much confidence as they face a much tougher test in the fourth round, when they will play Manchester United at Old Trafford.
However, their immediate concern is their poor form in the Premier League.
Last weekend, they were held to a 1-1 draw by Everton in difficult weather conditions, extending their winless start to the season.
Leicester is one of six Premier League teams yet to secure a victory this season.
However, thanks to a relatively strong goal difference, they sit in 15th place, the highest among the winless teams.
This slow start is unusual for Leicester, as the only other time they failed to win any of their first six Premier League games was during their 2022-23 relegation campaign.
Saturday’s match offers Arsenal a chance to continue their recent dominance over Leicester.
The Gunners have won their last five Premier League meetings with the Foxes, and a sixth consecutive victory would add to their momentum as they aim to challenge for the league title.
On the other hand, Leicester will be desperate to break their winless streak and begin climbing out of the lower half of the table.