LEICESTER
DISPLAYING the Premier League trophy at the Emirates for last night’s curtain-raiser was as cruel as Jim Bowen pulling the curtain back at the end of Bullseye every week to show the audience the speedboat.
“Just look at what you could have won!” Because, sorry to spike the euphoria: on last night’s show, anybody talking up Arsenal’s chances of winning the title is spouting a load of Bully.
Even a late winner from Olivier Giroud should not paper over the cracks that continue to permeate Arsene Wenger’s side, despite the kick up the backside that not qualifying for the Champions League is supposed to have given the whole institution.
However for too long, it has been the same old story. Being too frugal, lacking bite, missing leadership. Whatever the theory, the massive trophy has never been more than a passing visitor to the Emirates StEadViuEmRsi-nPceRitEwSasEbuNilTt. The one yeFarirAsrtseDnailv’sisrivoanls Aalrl sbeu-t handed it ntoalWleonogkere,ditownassmLeuicge-ster that nipped in to steal it. ly whenever we were Mainly because in Jamie Vardy threeylheagdaatemdanancadpaebvleeonf scoring enQouugehegnosalsPtaorgketRovaenrgth- e line. Twelve months ago, he had the ers had the cheek chance to mark that fairy-tale sutcocetsrsywiitthoanmoovneetoytehae rEmirates bu–t eavsenifnoawnhyeorneme aginivs ea sLeicester player. mInostneakdeythsat Nwoh9oshirt has beceonmfilleesd sbeycAolnexda.ndre Lacazette after Lucas Perez proved such an ineffective incumbent.
Charged with matching Zlatan Ibrahimovic goal for goal by Wenger coming into the game, technically that gave him 64 minutes to hit the back of the net to make a similar impact on the Premier League to the Swede last season.
It took the France international just 94 seconds. Mohamed Elneny picked him out with the cross, Lacazette steered his eight-yard header wide of Kasper Schmeichel.
Sadly for Arsenal, that was just one of their perennial problems instantly solved. Leicester’s nearinstant equaliser was far too easy, Marc Albrighton swung the ball in, debutant Harry Maguire nodded the ball back across goal and Shinji Okazaki headed in from close range. Three Arsenal centre-backs – none doing their job.
For the neutral it made for a mouth-watering reintroduction to top-flight football. Alex OxladeChamberlain looked menacing running from deep, forcing a low save from Schmeichel.
Danny Welbeck almost walked the ball into the goal and Sead Kolasinac’s deflected effort was well saved. Then, at the other end, it happened again. Granit Xhaka conceded possession far too easily, Albrighton sprung forward, the cross was perfect and Vardy needed no second invitation.
However, just as the first halftime boos were forming in the backs of the throats of the Arsenal fans, they dug themselves out of a hole.
The impressive Kolasinac was again involved, this time selflessly teeing up Welbeck to score after they both somehow wormed their way through the Leicester defence. If the break was a chance for