Arsenal continued their unbeaten run to ninth place with a 2-0 victory over Leicester City at King Power Stadium.
Mikel Arteta’s men started the match quickly and in less than five minutes got ahead.
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A cross from Bukayo Saka from a corner kick was met by Gabriel, who hit the ball into the far corner of the net.
The Gunners were happy to defend in depth and hit the Foxes over the counter when the opportunity presented itself.
Emile Smith Rowe doubled Arsenal’s lead before 20 minutes passed.
Saka broke the right flank before finding Alexandre Lacazette inside the penalty area.
But the Frenchman failed to control the ball and get a shot.
Smith Rowe hit the loose ball and shot low past Kasper Schmeichel, who slashed into the middle of the goal.
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Leicester’s best match chance came through James Madison just before the break.
The midfielder curled a free kick into the upper right corner, but Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale got up well to turn the ball over the underside of the crossbar.
Jonny Evans tried to bounce on the rebounding ball but the ball cleared before the Foxes could pull one of them back.
The Foxes pressed in the second half to find a way to get back into the match, but Ramsdale was there to deny them.
The win puts Arsenal on the same points as chasing the Champions League and West Ham.
Here’s how SunSport evaluated Arteta’s men’s performance on Saturday.
Aaron Ramsdale – 9
Great performance from the young goalkeeper who targeted Jordan Pickford’s England No. 1 shirt.
His save to deny Madison a free kick was simply world class, and he proves many people wrong.
Ramsdale also denied Ademola Lookman in the second half – in Peter Schmeichel style – cutting the angle of the eagle spread.
Four clean sheets in seven games for the 23-year-old.
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Nuno Tavares – 6
Another guaranteed performance from the summer signing on the left side of Arsenal’s defence.
Tavares looks good moving forward and disciplined in defence.
He dug deep during Leicester’s attack in the second half and the danger was evident on numerous occasions.
Gabriel – 7
One of the main gears in Arsenal’s defense along with the arrival of big money is Ben White.
Set the tone for the afternoon with a strong header.
The Brazilian appears to be forming a partnership with White, and President Arteta is hoping the pair will keep their good shape.
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Ben White – 6
He did not shrink under Leicester pressure in the second half.
He did a good job observing the spell, along with his fellow defenders.
Takehiro Tomiyasu – 6
The Japan international spent a lot of time in his own half defending Leicester’s attacks.
But overall, he played a good game and kept a clean sheet.
Emile Smith Rowe – 7
Smith Roe is going strong this season.
He was close to being called up to the England squad during the recent international break and has positioned himself in competition for the November matches with his goal-scoring display.
He scored really well and worked really hard with the team in general.
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Albert Sambi Lokonga – 6
He spent a lot of time out of possession as Leicester held the majority of the ball.
Stumble when needed and show discipline when defending some of the home team’s attacks.
Thomas Partey – 6
The experienced midfielder organized the midfield well and led by example.
He forms a good partnership with Lokonga, who is relishing the opportunity to play in the absence of injured Granit Xhaka.
Bukayo Saka – 6
I worked hard extensively on the right side.
He got an assist in Gabriel’s early opener and played a pivotal role in Smith Roe’s second game with a quick forward run.
Alexandre Lacazette – 6
He could not completely extinguish his power.
He didn’t communicate well with Saka’s truncation, but the ball fell to Smith Roe who poked into the second gunner’s house.
Suspended after 58 minutes.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – 7
The club captain began to find his feet again.
He worked hard from the team and led the streak well, pressing at every opportunity.
He was almost assisted by a powerful shot that nearly found Barty at the back post.
subs
Martin Odegaard Lacazette (58 min) – 6
He has had no real impact and has struggled this season since he was loaned out from Real Madrid on a permanent basis.
A match where Arsenal controls rhythm would suit Odegaard better, but today was not one of those days.
Nicholas Pepe for Saka (84 min) – N / A
Sead Kolasinac by Smith Rowe (90 min) – N/A
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