Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
ALWAYS GUN NNER HAPPEN
Jamie Vardy comes off the bench to do what he does best and score yet ANOTHER goal against Arsenal to take his total to ELEVEN
FROM the moment he stepped off the bench, it was written in the script.
Jamie Vardy just loves scoring against Arsenal, it is one of the things he does best and it was cruel punishment for Mikel Arteta and his wasteful players.
Leicester striker Vardy, who had missed the last two games through injury, has scored 11 Premier League goals against Arsenal with only Wayne Rooney scoring more with 12.
And it was Vardy w ho showed exactly what Arsenal were missing – a ruthless, killer edge as the Gunners wasted chances, were not clinical or direct enough.
Incredibly, this was the first time Arsenal had lost a home league match in 33 games in the month of October.
But if there was one player to end that sequence it had to be Vardy, as he just seems to feast on Arsenal’s defence and, the longer the game went on, the more you felt it would not be their night.
With Vardy warming the bench, the visitors were playing without an out-and-out striker and therefore most of the attacking threat in the opening half an hour came through Arsenal.
Kieran Tierney was a threat down the left flank, swinging in a number of dangerous crosses – one of which was missed from point-blank range by Alexandre Lacazette.
David Luiz limped off soon after the restart to be replaced by Shkodran Mustafi before Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers turned to Vardy just before the hour.
The Gunners had more possession, more shots and yet still ended up losing and, having both teams start on nine points, it now suddenly looks as if Leicester have made the really impressive start while the jury is still out on Arsenal.
Defeats to Liverpool, Manchester City and Leicester show that Arsenal are not ready to join the Premier League’s elite just yet. They are still some way behind those sort of teams. The results prove it.
They just could not find the finishing touch or even create enough clear-cut chances for all their 57 per cent possession a n d n i c e a p p r o a c h p l ay. L a c a z e tt e wa s t h e mo st wasteful of all, Pierre-emerick Aubameyang has now gone five Premier League games without a goal , which feels li ke a drought for him.
Hector Bellerin arguably went closest for the hosts, one run was curtailed by Jonny Ev ans’ bri l li ant chal l en ge, another volley stopped by Kasper Schmeichel’s save.
But, in truth, Bellerin was already lucky not to have been sent off for a second yellow by the time of the latter chance.
Arsenal will point to an early
effort when Lacazette’s header put the ball in the net, the linesman’s flag went up and referee Craig Pawson checked with VAR and ruled Granit Xhaka offside.
No, Xhaka did not touch it, but he was clearly in Schmeichel’s view and the decision was spot on after just tw o minut e s d espit e the complaints and controversy.
L e i c e st e r re a l ly mi s s e d Vardy ’s presence from the starting line-up as they looked rather toothless with only Harvey Barnes as a false nine.
Lacazette’s miss at the halfhour mark was unforgivable. Tierney drilled in a cross from the left, Lacazette should have got his head to the ball, but seemed put off by Christian Fuchs, who made a challenge to put him off.
But as the game wore on, you just knew it was only a matter of time before Rodgers played the ace up his sleeve.
On came Vardy at the hour mark and you immediately sensed the ner ves i n the Arsenal defence.
Youri Ti el emans’ l ov ely, clipped ball over th e top released Cengiz Under, and the
Foxes substitute sped down the right, pulled back a clever cross, and there was Vardy racing in to make no mistake 10 minutes from time (the striker celebrates, right).
Despite all their summer spending, Arsenal are still a work in progress. They still look vulnerable, they still look some way off being the finished article and a top-four team.
But that’s exactly what Leicester look like. This was their first away league win at Arsenal in 47 years – their first ever in the league at the Emirates.