Arsenal 0-1 Leicester: Player Ratings as Jamie Vardy Returns to Haunt Gunners
A late strike from substitute Jamie Vardy earned Leicester a smash-and-grab 1-0 win over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
The hosts were in complete control in the first half, restricting their visitors to just one shot and firing 11 away themselves. Alexandre Lacazette came closest to opening the scoring, failing to make clean contact with his close range header.
After the break, Hector Bellerin stung the palms of Kasper Schmeichel with a fierce strike. However, it would be Leicester who would finally find the breakthrough with two substitutes, Cengiz Under and Vardy, combining to win Leicester the game.
Here are your Arsenal and Leicester player ratings from the game.
ARSENAL
1. Goalkeeper & Defenders
Bernd Leno (GK) - 6/10 - One loose pass early on nearly proved costly. Okay after that, but had very little to do.
David Luiz (CB) - 7/10 - Looked comfortable in the first half before being forced off just after the break due to injury.
Gabriel (CB) - 6/10 - Almost gave away a goal with a stray pass. Also, tried to do too much on occasion, which ended with him getting dispossessed.
Granit Xhaka (CB) - 6/10 - Stepped into midfield when Arsenal changed shape. Leicester barely threatened during his stint at the back.
2. Wing-Backs & Midfielders
Hector Bellerin (RWB) - 6/10 - Should have been given a second yellow for a reckless slide on Justin. Very nearly scored in the second half with a great strike.
Thomas Partey (CM) - 6/10 - After an encouraging display on Thursday night, expectations were high. There was flashes of brilliance here and there, but certainly not a vintage display.
Dani Ceballos (CM) - 5/10 - Some great corner deliveries. Other than that... not a lot to report.
Kieran Tierney (LWB) - 7/10 - Whipped in some delicious crosses in the first half, only to be let down by some questionable finishing.
3. Forwards
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (RW) - 5/10 - Looked sluggish, spurning a couple of good chances.
Alexandre Lacazette (ST) - 5/10 - Horrific miss in the first half. Committed five fouls as well. Naughty boy.
Bukayo Saka (LW) - 6/10 - Lacked a cutting edge, firing off four shots to no avail in the first half alone. Always looked dangerous though.
4. Substitutes
Shkodran Mustafi - 5/10
Nicolas Pepe - 5/10
Eddie Nketiah - N/A
LEICESTER
5. Goalkeeper & Defenders
Kasper Schmeichel (GK) - 7/10 - Called into action on several occasions and pulled off some good saves. Was perhaps lucky that an early goal was ruled out for offside.
Wesley Fofana (CB) - 8/10 - So classy in possession despite his tender years. His reading of the game was also impressive.
Jonny Evans (CB) - 7/10 - Brought composure to the Foxes' makeshift backline.
Christian Fuchs (CB) - 8/10 - The timeless Austrian put in an excellent performance, making a number of important clearances.
6. Wing Back & Midfielders
Timothy Castagne (RWB) - 7/10 - One of his quieter evenings. Tierney caused him a few problems before half time.
Youri Tielemans (CM) - 7/10 - Steely midfield display. Looked really up for it, making three crunching tackles in the first half alone.
Papy Mendy (CM) - 7/10 - Good performance. He kept things simple, registering a passing accuracy of 94%.
James Justin (LWB) - 7/10 - Engaged in a fascinating battle with Bellerin throughout. Growing as a player with each passing game.
7. Attacking Midfielders & Forwards
Dennis Praet (AM) - 5/10 - Some incredibly sloppy moments in possession. Rightly hooked off on the hour mark.
James Maddison (AM) - 6/10 - His first Premier League start of the season was solid. Constantly looking to create things.
Harvey Barnes (ST) - 5/10 - Did not look comfortable in an unfamiliar centre-forward role. Improved a bit after he was moved to his favoured spot on the left wing but overall, it was a muted display.
8. Substitutes
Jamie Vardy - 8/10
Cengiz Under - 8/10
Marc Albrighton - N/A