OL GUNS BLAZING Super sub grabs winner in a seven-goal Emirates thrilller
OH, how we have missed you.
It is wonderful to have the Premier League back – even if Leicester fans probably would not agree.
Arsenal looked a complete shambles at times, Leicester were upsetting the odds only for Arsene Wenger to go from crisis to last-gasp glory.
Supersubs Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud came off the bench to snatch the late goals to secure Gunners’ unlikely victory amid a crazy night of football. It was only Arsenal’s second win in eight opening day fixtures but they do not get any more breathless and brilliant than this.
Arsenal’s inept and kamikaze defending will not do anything for their title chances but at least they provided some incredible entertainment.
The game started at a frenetic pace and debuts do not get much more spectacular as Alexandre Lacazette took just 94 seconds to get off the mark.
Mohamed Elneny’s curling ball into the box found Arsenal’s £52million record signing and Lacazette’s glancing header beat Leicester keeper Kasper Schmeichel and flew into the bottom corner.
But just as Arsenal fans might have been forgiven for dreaming of a new dawn, the optimism turned to despair within five minutes as they were quickly undone by some terrible defending. Marc Albrighton’s deep inswinging cross left Petr Cech in no man’s land, Harry Maguire headed back across goal and 5ft 9in Shinji Okazaki out jumped Arsenal’s socalled hardman Granit Xhaka to head Leicester level.
But if that was bad then the home crowd hadn’t seen anything yet. In fact, they were almost plunged into despair even before the half-hour mark.
Another crazy moment from Xhaka – a shocking square pass across his own backline – presented the ball to Albrighton.
The Leicester winger’s sublime cross split the Arsenal defence and there was Jamie Vardy ready to pounce from close range.
It was like we have never been away. Arsenal were a complete mess. Just as the Emirates was bracing itself for the first round of “Wenger Out” chants of the season, Danny Welbeck produced
a timely equaliser in first-half injury time. Mesut Ozil tried to thread the ball through, Wes Morgan shut down Lacazette, but the ball fell to Sead Kolasinac and he set up Welbeck to scramble home a leveller.
You might have thought that was the cue for Arsenal to kick on. But not when they defend as badly as this.
Riyad Mahrez’s 56th-minute corner created mayhem in the Gunners’ box, Vardy lost his marker Nacho Monreal and the Leicester striker headed home the Foxes’ third. Vardy has scored five of Leicester’s last six goals against Arsenal. No wonder they tried to sign him last year.
Arsenal threw on the cavalry with Ramsey, Giroud and Theo Walcott. And it was Ramsey who smashed home the 83rd-minute leveller from Xhaka’s ball.
Then Giroud completed the amazing fightback as he headed home from Xhaka’s corner to complete this astonishing, nerve-shredding advert for the Premier League.