Arsenal 0-1 Leicester: Jamie Vardy seals smash-and-grab victory

Report as Leicester claim first Premier League away win at Arsenal; Jamie Vardy comes off bench to score winner as Leicester claim first win at Arsenal since 1973

Jack Wilkinson

@jacktwilkinson

Monday 26 October 2020 06:20, UK

Leicester claimed their first away Premier League win at Arsenal as Jamie Vardy's late header sealed a 1-0 smash-and-grab victory at Emirates Stadium.

Vardy headed in fellow substitute Cengiz Under's cross with 10 minutes remaining as the Foxes beat the Gunners in their own back yard for the first time since 1973 with what was their first attempt on target.

Alexandre Lacazette had an early header ruled out for offside and he and strike partner Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were guilty of squandering a host of first-half opportunities as the Gunners slipped to a third defeat of the season.

Leicester's victory was the 300th of Brendan Rodgers' managerial career and lifts the Foxes up to fourth in the Premier League, three points clear of the Gunners, who remain 10th.

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How Foxes claimed famous Arsenal win

James Maddison gave Arsenal an early scare when his long-range effort hit the side-netting after Bernd Leno vacated his goal to clear before James Justin could break through on goal.

The Gunners looked to have got off to the perfect start when Lacazette flicked Dani Ceballos' corner in off the post inside four minutes. But the Gunners' celebrations were short-lived, with an instant offside flag penalising Granit Xhaka and Aubameyang for interfering with play, despite neither touching the ball.

Arsenal steadily built momentum and created a flurry of chances midway through the half. The majority of them came from the left boot of full-back Kieran Tierney, but Aubameyang and Lacazette sent headers over.

Lacazette spurned the best chance of the half on 29 minutes when he somehow failed to get his head on Tierney's venomous cross despite having the goal at this mercy from six yards.

Both sides jostled for early momentum in the second half before the introduction of Vardy swung the game crucially in Leicester's favour.

Things could have been different had Hector Bellerin volleyed Aubameyang's cross either side of Kasper Schmeichel on 68 minutes instead of straight at him, but the passing of that chance left the stage for Vardy to leave his mark.

Substitute Under span brilliantly away from the Arsenal defence to latch onto a ball in behind and he selflessly squared for Vardy to nod home to the winner.

Vardy could have put further gloss on the victory had he not been denied by Leno with a late one-on-one, but the damage was already done as the Foxes left London basking in the glory of a famous victory 47 years in the making.

Opta stats - Vardy haunts Arsenal again

Leicester picked up their first away win at Arsenal since September 1973, ending a run of 27 games without an away victory against them in all competitions.
Leicester striker Jamie Vardy has scored five goals at the Emirates Stadium in the Premier League; the most of any visiting player (overtaking Harry Kane on four).
Arsenal suffered their first Premier League home defeat of 2020, with this their first loss at the Emirates Stadium in the competition since Mikel Arteta's first home game in charge (1-2 v Chelsea in December 2019).
This was Leicester's fourth victory in the Premier League this season; their joint-most after six games of a top-flight campaign, having also won four of their opening six in 2000-01.
Leicester's Jamie Vardy has scored 11 goals in 12 Premier League games against Arsenal - only Wayne Rooney (12) has netted more against the Gunners in the competition.
Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has gone five league matches without a goal for the first time since November 2014, while playing for Borussia Dortmund.

What the managers said…

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta: "I'm really disappointed, obviously. In the first half, we had the game in our hands, we created enough chances to go in front. We scored a goal that I don't know how it was disallowed and in the second half it was about being patient and waiting for the right moment against a team that wanted to defend really deep.

"They didn't have any shots on target and they were just waiting for a mistake to go on the break and the moment we had a minimal mistake with no pressure on the ball, trying to step in, the caught us with the space at our back and we lost the game.

"It is very difficult to create chances against 10 men behind the ball with no spaces, we saw that they did that against Manchester City, and I was expecting them to do it. But we had an open situation where we should have finished the game better. Then it comes to two or three chances that you're going to have with set-pieces and when you have those moments, you have to make [something] of it and not make any mistakes at the back."

Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers: "The boys were outstanding. Our idea is that you're playing against top quality players and you've got to deny them space. A lot of my teams always deny it at the top of the pitch, but when play against that quality and that speed, you're set up slightly different. We know we have quality and speed and we'll get opportunities, and I thought the concentration, the ideas in the game from the players were executed really well.

"The goal was a fantastic pass, but he needs the movement. Cengiz gets movement in behind and his quality to square it for Jamie was a brilliant move and a great goal. Everyone talks about the goals Vardy scores against Arsenal and the big teams but that's why he's a big player. He makes that big contribution in the biggest games and that shows you the level that he's at. He's a world-class striker and I'm very lucky to have him here.

"I thought we deserved it [to win]. We're playing against a really good side whose movement is good, the set-up slightly different tonight as well, but I know they've got quality and the players that can run in behind. To come and keep a clean sheet and play with that quality and also calmness was really good."

What's next?

Arsenal host Dundalk in the Europa League on Thursday at 8pm, before travelling to Manchester United on Super Sunday at 4.30pm - live on Sky Sports Premier League.

Leicester travel to AEK Athens in the Europa League at 5.55pm on Thursday before making the trip to Leeds on Monday Night Football at 8pm - live on Sky Sports Premier League.