Arsenal 0-1 Leicester City: Arsenal Player Ratings | Premier League 2020-21
On a night where Arsenal could've moved into third place with a win against Leicester City, Mikel Arteta's men fall apart on home soil as the Foxes grabbed all three points, courtesy of a Jamie Vardy goal.
Leicester City's game plan was crystal clear from the very first minute; sit back and counter-attack. It would be safe to say that it worked perfectly, as super sub Vardy scored in the 80th minute of the game after a perfectly timed run from Cengiz Ünder behind Arsenal's high defensive line was picked by Youri Tielemans.
Subsequently, the 23-year-old played it across the face of the pitch for Vardy to give the finishing touches as a lackluster performance from Arsenal was deservingly punished at the hands of a clinical Leicester City team.
On that note, let's take a look at:
Arsenal player ratings
Bernd Leno: 6/10
It was one of the quietest nights Bernd Leno would've experienced in an Arsenal shirt. Leicester City never tested Leno and he was strolling around the park for the majority of the game, but then Vardy happened.
A precise long ball over Arsenal's defence and a quick cross across Leno's face was enough as the keeper was left helpless to prevent Vardy from scoring. Leno, however, denied Vardy a 1v1 chance in the dying minutes to keep his side in the game.
Kieran Tierney: 8/10
Arguably Arsenal's best player on the night, Kieran Tierney produced three scintillating crosses for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette to pounce on. The latter, especially, should have scored, as he missed from point-blank range following Tierney's cross and sent another header wide.
Defensively, the Scottish international had almost nothing to do. He created enough chances for Arsenal's striking partnership to alter the scoreline, but the Gunners failed to take their chances.
Gabriel Magalhães: 6/10
In a game where Gabriel's passing range was of prime importance, the Brazilian was far from convincing. Attempting 9 long balls but completing only 2 of them, the 22-year-old relied on David Luiz far too much to pick passes across the pitch.
Winning 2 aerials, 2 tackles and 4 ground duels, Gabriel was reliable for the Gunners whenever Leicester dominated possession, but the Brazilian has set himself high standards and comparitevely, he was underwhelming on the night.
David Luiz: 7/10
Over-reliance on a specific player has been in Arsenal's DNA over the past few years, and it seemed to continue last night as this time the protagonist was David Luiz.
The veteran defender completed 8 long balls and 43 passes in just 50 minutes of football, and as soon as he left the pitch, Arsenal seemed to run out of ideas. Lack of ball progression and a depleted defence and midfield eventually cost them the game.
Hector Bellerin: 5/10
After creating the winner against Rapid Wein in midweek, fans expected Hector Bellerin to be high on confidence but that wasn't the case. The Spaniard was one of the worst players on the pitch and was lucky to not be sent off.
While Tierney attempted four crosses into the box, his flank partner attempted zero and provided little threat from the right-wing. His decision making was horrendous as Christian Fuchs had a pleasant time dealing with the 25-year-old.
Granit Xhaka: 6/10
In what seemed to be a traditional 4-3-3 before kick-off, Granit Xhaka to much surprise played as a CB/LB hybrid. Mikel Arteta attempted to get three of his best midfielders in the same XI but eventually, the idea backfired terribly, as Arsenal lacked creativity through the centre of the pitch.
While Xhaka was reliable with the ball at his feet, completing 88 passes with an accuracy of 90%, it was his inability to cope up in a high defensive line that eventually cost Arsenal the 3 points.
Thomas Partey: 5/10
An Emirates debut for Arsenal's signing of the season ended in despair as not only did the Gunners lose the game, but Partey dropped an average performance to commence his Premier League era.
The Ghanaian was closely man-marked throughout the game by Harvey Barnes, as Leicester tried to limit build-up through the middle. It worked perfectly well, as Partey only had 60 touches, compared to Xhaka's 113 and Ceballos' 80.
A night to forget for Partey and co, as the £45 million midfielder had no impact whatsoever on the game.
Dani Ceballos: 5/10
It was evident that Dani Ceballos struggled to play the auxiliary right-back role he was asked to play. The Spaniard misplaced tons of passes throughout the 90. Although Ceballos grew into the second half, it was still a poor performance from the loanee by his standards, as he registered the most key passes by any player on the pitch.
Dani Ceballos had been immaculate all season, arguably being Arsenal's best midfielder since 'Project Restart'. The 24-year-old continued his form into the new season. However, it was a terrible evening for him against Leicester City.
Bukayo Saka: 6/10
Is Bukayo Saka being overplayed? This was Saka's third start in just seven days as he continues to impress his boss and fans across the globe, but the problem is, is he being overused by the manager?
Arsenal were yet again reliant on the 19-year-old to create something out of nothing, but an unfortunate ankle injury saw him leave the pitch in the second half. Aubameyang and Saka regularly switched flanks but to no avail, as Wesley Fofana and Christian Fuchs contained the duo with ease.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang: 5/10
Critics are starting to raise their voices over Aubameyang's position, as Mikel Arteta has refrained from playing him as a centre-forward on numerous occasions. What infuriates fans, even more, is that it's Alex Lacazette who Arteta picks for the CF position, a player who has been on the decline for quite a while.
It was another night of agony as Aubameyang had to feed off scraps, looking to run down the channels and provide crosses for his teammates. At the age of 31, it would not be the wisest of decisions to introduce a Golden Boot winning striker to a new role; as a winger.
Alexandre Lacazette: 4/10
Unnecessary fouls, wasteful finishing, horrendous first touches and lack of movement summed up Lacazette's night against a resurgent Leicester defence. After having a sub-par game vs Rapid Wein, the 29-year-old was lucky to make it into the XI ahead of Eddie Nketiah, but he failed to capitalise on his opportunity.
With games coming thick and fast, Arteta would be expected to drop Lacazette from his XI against Dundalk in the Europa League. And if Nketiah impresses in midweek, Lacazette will be under immense scrutiny, falling down the pecking order.
Arsenal Substitutes
Shkodran Mustafi: 3/10
41 minutes of football was enough for Shkodran Mustafi to prove why he is not good enough for Arsenal, as he let Jamie Vardy run behind him on two different occasions, out of which one cost Arsenal the game.
The German international did nothing on the night. Mustafi misplaced passes, he was exposed due to Arsenal's high defensive structure and failed to break lines with his ground passing.
Nicolas Pepe: 5/10
Mikel Arteta played a front three consisting of zero natural wingers despite having his €72 million-rated winger on the bench, which suggests Nicolas Pepe is yet to impress his gaffer.
In the 25 minutes he played, Pepe failed to create anything concrete. Having 16 touches of the ball, the Ivorian lost possession 8 times, completing just 7 passes. Arteta turned to Pepe when his side was down, but the 25-year-old couldn't deliver.
Eddie Nketiah: N/A
Did not play enough to warrant a rating.