Arsenal will host Leicester City at the Emirates Stadium on matchday 29 of the Premier League on Sunday. Both sides will be feeling pretty confident due to their form in recent weeks ahead of this highly-anticipated clash. Arsenal and Leicester have won their last four matches in all competitions.
Former England and Liverpool striker Michael Owen has predicted the hosts' chances of winning against the visitors. He said the north London side were the favorites due to their overall performance in the ongoing Premier League. Writing in his column for BetVictor, Owen said:
“Arsenal keep winning and look in firm control of that fourth-placed position. Some of the football against Watford was superb, with the likes of [Bukayo] Saka, [Martin] Odegaard, and [Gabriel] Martinelli all playing well."
The Gunners stand 5th in the league table with 48 points to their tally. They trail fourth-placed Manchester United by two points, but have four games in hand over them. Remaining within the Champions League spots will be the ultimate target for the London-based side.
The Gunners are in good shape and are likely to utilize their momentum in securing an outcome in this contest against the East Midlanders. The reason for that lies behind the meticulous approach that Mikel Arteta has instilled in his side.
After a faulty start, the Spanish manager has firmly put the rocking boat on course. Replacing Bernd Leno with Aaron Ramsdale and letting go of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are some of the strict decisions that he has made that have helped the side.
Leicester's ailments favoring Arsenal's chances
The Londoners have won the last two encounters between the sides. The Foxes have always struggled to contain the Gunners' attack. But this time, they look more vulnerable in other areas than other times.
Though Leicester City have kept three clean sheets since the start of March, their fragile underbelly has not gone unnoticed. But those who have followed the side know about the relentless injury issues that Brendan Rodgers has to deal with while formulating his plans.
“Leicester have won four in a row in all competitions and look to be building some momentum. They beat a decent Rennes side on Thursday, but this is obviously a step-up." - Owen added.
For an outfit that remains 12th, the makeshift backline has been a real unsolvable problem that has led to the side leaking easy goals frequently. Wesley Fofana (coronavirus) and Jamie Vardy (knee injury) are two of their crucial players who will miss this game.
“I can’t see Arsenal dropping points at the minute. Leicester might be a little tired from playing on Thursday, and I’m going for a 2-0 Arsenal win.” - Owen concluded.
Furthermore, having won the first leg of the Round of 16 in the Conference League against Rennes, Rodgers will be hesitant to play a strong squad with the second leg coming up.