Game off as Foxes struggle
Supersub delivers the KO blow
LEICESTER’S Premier League clash at Everton tomorrow has been called off after the Midlands club complained of a lack of players.
Brendan Rodgers’ side say positive Covid tests, injuries and the Africa Cup of Nations has left them short, two days after fielding 11 players and naming seven substitutes in an FA Cup third-round clash against Watford which they won 4-1.
The Foxes said they had just eight fit senior outfield players for that game.
Stars including Jamie Vardy, Jonny Evans and Ricardo Pereira are out with long-term injuries, while Wilfred Ndidi, Kelechi Iheanacho, Daniel Amartey and Nampalys Mendy have all been called up for the African tournament, with Patson Daka on standby.
To force a postponement in the top flight, a club must have fewer than 13 available senior outfield players and only one goalkeeper, while the cup has different rules, with clubs having to call on academy players to ensure the games go ahead.
“The Premier League board has accepted Leicester City’s application as the club does not have the required number of players available for the match due to Covid cases, injuries and players on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations,” said a Premier League statement.
Cup report: Pullout
ARSENAL were labelled a “pub team” as they crashed out of the FA Cup.
The Gunners fired blanks at Nottingham Forest as Lewis Grabban struck a dramatic late winner for the Championship side.
And the record 14-time winners of the competition saw their hopes of another champagne Wembley triumph fall horribly flat here.
They were awful at the City Ground yesterday, where they failed to have a shot on target, as boss Mikel Arteta was left fuming on the sideline.
The Spaniard even hauled off left-back Nuno Tavares, making his ninth start for the club, in the 35th minute in an embarrassing substitution.
Portuguese youngster Tavares, 21, threw away his gloves and ignored Arteta after being replaced by Kieran Tierney.
But not even that drastic action was enough to sting Arsenal into life as Forest triumphed to set up an East Midlands derby at home to Leicester in the fourth round.
Unimpressed former Forest midfielder Roy Keane, a pundit at the game, said Arsenal looked like Real Madrid because they wore a one-off white strip as part of the ‘No More Red’ campaign but played like a side from the local boozer. It meant Arsenal crashed at the City Ground again after also losing here as holders in 2018.
Arteta’s decision to make seven changes backfired badly, with much-hyped teenager Charlie Patino, 18, underwhelming on his full debut, while Eddie Nketiah led the line up front and fluffed some of the visitors’ rare openings.
It proved costly for the Gunners, who were also without Granit Xhaka and Folarin Balogun after the duo tested positive for Covid, while Emile Smith Rowe and Takehiro Tomiyasu were absent through injury.
Forest appeared fired up from the start as they gave debuts to new signings Keinan Davis and Steve Cook.
And they also had Canada international Richie Laryea, snapped up from MLS side Toronto FC, in the stands.
The hosts pressurised the Gunners early on as Tavares’ awful back pass to Leno forced a corner.
Tavares, signed from Benfica last summer for £8m, struggled to contain the quick duo Spence and Brennan early in the first half.
Arteta took no chances and made the brutal decision to sub Tavares before the break, a call which clearly upset the youngster.
The change helped Arsenal improve marginally but it was Forest who almost took the lead after the break.
Johnson did excellent to get away down the right and cut the ball back for Philip Zinckernagel, whose volley was pushed behind by keeper Bernd Leno.
Nketiah, who is out of contract in the summer, then blew a good chance from Bukayo Saka’s cross to the back post.
Leno at least continued steady in goal as he kept free-kick from James Garner.
But he was helpless as Grabban poked in an 83rd-minute winner from Ryan Yates’ cross which sparked a mini pitch invasion. of Djed Johnson to be out a
NOTTINGHAM FOREST (3-4-2-1): Samba 7; Worrall 8, Cook 7, McKenna 7; SPENCE 8, Yates 7, Garner 7, Colback 7; Zinckernagel 7 (Cafu 75), Johnson 8; Davis 8 (Grabban 68, 7).
ARSENAL (4-2-3-1): Leno 7; Cedric 5 (Kolasinac 90), Holding 5, White 6, Tavares 2 (Tierney 35, 6); Lokonga 5, Patino 5 (Lacazette 69, 6); Saka 5, Odegaard 5, Martinelli 5; Nketiah 4.
REFEREE:
Craig Pawson 7.