Real Football Man All of the Football, All of the time
Premier League champions Leicester play host to last seasons runners up Arsenal and both are coming off the back of opening weekend defeats. Leicester were victims of the biggest upset as they lost to newly promoted Hull while Arsenal’s patched up defence capitulated at home to Liverpool.
The pressure is already on Arsene Wenger to deliver and with no new faces entering The Emirates this week he will once again have to make do with a depleted side. He should be able to welcome back Laurent Koscielny after not deciding to recall him for their opener but that seems to be the only glimmer of hope in term of Arsenal’s long injury list.
That list has got even longer now that Aaron Ramsey has been ruled out for a month and Arsenal are going to have their work cut out if they are to get off the mark this season. Last season they got the better of The Foxes at The King Power with a 5-2 win, it will be incredibly wishful thinking for that to happen again.
For Leicester they will look forward to playing a more expansive side as last Saturday Hull stifled them by sitting back and foiling their counter attacking tactic that was so successful in their title winning season. Jamie Vardy missed a hatful of chances but how he would love to put one past the side he turned down in the Summer.
But the biggest news in Leicester this week would have been the fact that Riyad Mahrez has signed a new contract. With that signature it puts to bed any talk of him leaving The King Power this month, not only that but it rids him of any distractions and that means his full focus will be back on making and scoring goals for Leicester.
That news will come as a blow to Arsenal who were looking to snare Mahrez for themselves but unlike the Vardy transfer story back in June they never really came in with a contract offer, just admiring from a far. Once again how sweet would it be if Mahrez can be the difference against The Gunners this evening.
Arsenal are already under huge pressure after Sunday’s defeat to Liverpool but the question is whether or not they have the personnel in which to be able to bounce back from that result. A lot will depend on which of the Euro 2016 contingent still missing can return to action later today.
I have a feeling that this one will be a draw, both teams will open their Premier League accounts but not perhaps the result that either team is looking for. A share of the points for me.
