An inspired substitution proved the difference for Arsenal as Mikel Merino’s late double sealed a vital three points at Leicester City, closing the gap at the top of the table.
Following an uneventful first-half, things didn’t look like they were going to go the way of the injury-stricken Gunners, as Ethan Nwaneri rattled the woodwork twice after the break.
However, Mikel Arteta’s decision to operate natural midfielder Merino as a makeshift number nine proved game-changing, with the Spaniard netting a brilliant brace to guide Arsenal to victory at the King Power Stadium.
The win moves Arsenal to within four points of league leaders Liverpool after Everton denied the Reds victory with a late equaliser in the Merseyside derby on Wednesday.
Relive all the action from the King Power Stadium below:
Leicester vs Arsenal LIVE: key points
- Mikel Merino scores superb double to guide Gunners to vital victory
- 61' OFF THE BAR! Nwaneri clips the bar with stunning curled effort [LEI 0-0 ARS]
- 73' CLOSE! Lewis-Skelly with sublime defensive work to deny tap-in [LEI 0-0 ARS]
- 76' OFF THE POST! Nwaneri rattles woodwork once again [LEI 0-0 ARS]
- 81' GOAL! Merino heads in massive opener from expert Nwaneri cross [LEI 0-1 ARS]
- 87' GOAL! Merino doubles his tally for the afternoon to seal the win [LEI 0-2 ARS]
Leicester City FC 0 - 2 Arsenal FC
Still to come: Man City vs Newcastle
14:58 , Will CastleWe’ve still got a lot of Premier League action to sink our teeth into this afternoon - and over at the Etihad Stadium, 3pm kick-offs don’t get much better than this.
Kick-off is imminent as Manchester City host Newcastle United, with each side looking to pull away from the other as they chase Champions League football.
City go into the game one place higher than the Magpies in the table, though both sides are level on points and goal difference, with City ahead on goals scored. Three points at the Etihad would give either club an advantage in the race for Europe, with Pep Guardiola’s side looking for an immediate response to a disappointing 3-2 loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League play-offs.
Eddie Howe’s Magpies are in buoyant mood after reaching the Carabao Cup final earlier this month, and they’ll be looking to leapfrog City with both sides dealing with injuries to vital players.
Follow all the action from Man City v Newcastle below.
Manchester City v Newcastle LIVE: Team news and line-ups in Premier League
Mikel Merino scores superb double to guide Gunners to vital victory
14:39 , Will Castle
FULL-TIME! Leicester 0-2 Arsenal
14:26 , Will CastleAn inspired substitution proved the difference for Mikel Arteta as Arsenal seal a vital three points at Leicester.
After an uneventful first-half, things didn’t look like they were going to go for the injury-stricken Gunners, as Ethan Nwaneri rattled the woodwork twice after the break.
However, a late double from midfielder turned number nine Mikel Merino guided Arsenal to victory at the King Power Stadium.
Leicester 0-2 Arsenal
14:25 , Will Castle90+4 mins: David Raya makes a good catch to collect a Leicester corner and dispel any threat to his clean sheet. That should be it.
Leicester 0-2 Arsenal
14:23 , Will Castle90+1 mins: Mikel Merino is looking for a hat-trick and fires an effort from outside the box, but it’s straight into the grasp of Hermansen.
The away end is in full voice as the King Power turns into a sea of blue seats.
GOAL! Leicester 0-2 Arsenal
14:19 , Will Castle87 mins: GOAL! Who said Arsenal lacked a born-striker?
Arsenal break forward on the counter as Trossard is found on the left by Calafiori. The Belgian then whips in a low cross that is tucked away brilliantly by, you guessed it, Mikel Merino.
The Spaniard has changed the game for Arsenal today.
Leicester 0-1 Arsenal
14:17 , Will Castle84 mins: Heart-in-mouth moment for Arsenal as both Mavididi and Ndidi come close to letting fly from a Leicester delivery. The Gunners are able to survive.
As things stand, Arsenal will move to within four points of league leaders Liverpool.
GOAL! Leicester 0-1 Arsenal
14:12 , Will Castle81 mins: GOAL! Mikel Merino heads in a massive goal for Arsenal - and of course it was made by Ethan Nwaneri!
Nwaneri delightfully whips in a delivery to the big Spaniard, who does exactly what Arteta brought him on to do and rises highest to head down past Hermansen.
Leicester 0-0 Arsenal
14:08 , Will Castle76 mins: OFF THE POST! Nwaneri hits the woodwork again!
Arsenal’s main source of attacking impetus this afternoon, the youngster drives forward into the box and lashes an effort towards goal, rattling the inside of the post.
Hermansen might’ve got a vital touch on that.
Leicester 0-0 Arsenal
14:06 , Will Castle73 mins: CLOSE! Myles Lewis-Skelly, take a bow.
A sublime piece of back-post defending to deny Bobby Decordova-Reid a certain tap-in, with a deft touch diverting the ball past the Jamaican and out for a corner - instead of his own net.
That’ll be Lewis-Skelly’s final act as he makes way for Califiori. Jorginho is also on for Partey, while Leicester make an attacking change - former Gunners academy product Stephy Mavididi enters the fray in place of Jordan Ayew.
Leicester 0-0 Arsenal
14:03 , Will Castle71 mins: Merino might be a central midfielder by trade but he’s on as a target man for Arsenal, playing down the middle.
Leicester 0-0 Arsenal
14:02 , Will Castle69 mins: Time for Mikel Arteta to finally switch things up as he brings off Raheem Sterling in place of Mikel Merino.
Sterling had a big opportunity to prove his worth for Arsenal amid a lack of attacking options. However, it’s come to no avail for the winger - a rough outing.
Leicester 0-0 Arsenal
14:00 , Will Castle67 mins: Arsenal might be dominating possession in Leicester’s half at the moment, but the Foxes are looking dangerous when they get the opportunity to break.
Their most recent attack sees Bobby Decordova-Reid sting the palms of David Raya from range.
Leicester 0-0 Arsenal
13:57 , Will Castle65 mins: Things are opening up now.
Leicester come forward and do well to force a corner, but nothing arises from it.
Then up the other end, Arsenal put the pressure on and win a free-kick on the right. Once again, the Foxes are able to survive an Arsenal set-piece.
Leicester 0-0 Arsenal
13:53 , Will Castle61 mins: OFF THE BAR! So, so close to an absolute stunner from Ethan Nwaneri.
He collects Odegaard’s pass and chops inside a pair of Foxes defenders before curling one towards the top-left corner from 20 yards out.
It flicks the top of the bar and flies over into the stands. Some player this lad.
Leicester 0-0 Arsenal
13:51 , Will Castle60 mins: Arsenal try to slip Sterling through yet again but once more, it’s Wilfred Ndidi to the rescue.
He anticipates the pass and gets the challenge in to put the ball out for a corner - which is dealt with by Okoli.
Ndidi’s having a cracker today.
Leicester 0-0 Arsenal
13:49 , Will Castle58 mins: Ayew picks up a yellow card for a professional foul on Jurrien Timber, pulling the Dutchman to the ground as Arsenal threatened to break away.
Leicester 0-0 Arsenal
13:45 , Will Castle53 mins: Another great tackle from Ndidi to thwart Sterling as he broke into the box, sliding in to make a last-ditch challenge.
Arsenal then deliver two corners in succession, both dealt with by Leicester.
Leicester 0-0 Arsenal
13:43 , Will Castle50 mins: A little bit more pace about the game so far as both teams try to fashion early openings.
Declan Rice makes a lovely run and collects the ball with a run at goal - he then tries to slip it to Sterling but Ndidi does well to tackle to winger firmly.
Then up the other end, Leicester send a ball down the right for their man to chase, and while he did time his run well, the Foxes are unable to produce an effort to test Raya.
Leicester 0-0 Arsenal
13:39 , Will Castle48 mins: Thomas Partey is feeling the brunt of the Leicester press early on in this second half as Ayew takes a not-so-subtle swipe at the midfielder.
Leicester 0-0 Arsenal
13:38 , Will Castle47 mins: El Khannouss immediately gets stuck in following from the restart but is a bit too reckless going into the challenge, catching Partey with his studs.
The Moroccan is in the book.
BACK UNDERWAY! Leicester 0-0 Arsenal
13:36 , Will Castle46 mins: We’re off again in Leicester. Here’s hoping for a bit more action in the next 45 minutes.
HALF-TIME! Leicester 0-0 Arsenal
13:31 , Will Castle
HALF-TIME! Leicester 0-0 Arsenal
13:21 , Will CastleHALF-TIME! Not exactly a classic so far as we go into the break goalless at the King Power.
The closest we came to a goal occurred in the final action of the half as Wilfred Ndidi headed just wide of the post after latching onto an excellent cross from deep.
Ruud van Nistelrooy will be content with his team’s performance so far - while Mikel Arteta will surely look to see more ingenuity after the restart.
Leicester 0-0 Arsenal
13:20 , Will Castle45+4 mins: CHANCE! It’s Leicester who put the pressure on late in the half.
Ndidi latches onto a great cross but can only direct his header just wide of the post.
Closest we’ve come to a goal yet - and that’ll do it for the first 45.
Leicester 0-0 Arsenal
13:18 , Will Castle45+1 mins: Positive work from Nwaneri who glides past his man on the right and whips a delivery into the danger area - Faes gets there first to concede a corner.
Gabriel gets a head to the corner but it lacks power and Leicester are able to clear.
Not exactly a hot take at this point, but Nwaneri is a real talent. Best player on the pitch so far.
Leicester 0-0 Arsenal
13:15 , Will Castle45 mins: Arsenal go for route one and loft a straight ball over the top for Sterling to chase, but it skids through to Hermansen to collect.
Leicester 0-0 Arsenal
13:13 , Will Castle44 mins: James Justin’s afternoon is over as he goes down once again, feeling the effects of an ankle injury.
On comes January signing Woyo Coulibaly for Leicester at right-baclk.
Leicester 0-0 Arsenal
13:12 , Will Castle41 mins: Odegaard executes another clever flick towards Trossard, lofting it over the Leicester defence just like he did earlier in the half.
Trossard is onside this time but misses the ball when swinging a boot, allowing Wout Faes to collect and deal with the danger.
Leicester 0-0 Arsenal
13:10 , Will Castle39 mins: Great challenge from El Khannouss to dispossess Trossard, throwing in a block to thwart Arsenal’s attack.
However, Leicester just hook the ball away and give possession straight back to the Gunners. Cue a collective groan from the King Power faithful.
Leicester 0-0 Arsenal
13:07 , Will Castle36 mins: Trossard puts Soumare under pressure to force a change in possession in the middle of the park, allowing Sterling to pick up the ball and drive towards the box.
Sterling opts to go with a direct approach and fires an effort towards goal from the edge of the box, deflected out for a corner.
Nothing comes from the resulting set piece but that’s the first time we’ve seen an Arsenal player just have a crack today, rather than dilly dally around the area.
Leicester 0-0 Arsenal
13:02 , Will Castle32 mins: Less than 15 minutes to go in the first half and we’re still waiting for our first save of the afternoon.
Neither side has been able to get a grip on this game.
Leicester 0-0 Arsenal
13:01 , Will Castle30 mins: Sterling tries to slip Trossard in behind but Leicester’s line does it’s job once again to catch the Belgian offside.
Moments later, the flag goes up again, this time against Sterling. Leicester’s defence has been very disciplined thus far.
Leicester 0-0 Arsenal
12:58 , Will Castle28 mins: Looked like an awkward landing is behind the issue for Justin.
New signing Coulibaly got stripped and looked ready to come on - however, the defender looks ok to continue.
Justin is back on the field.
Leicester 0-0 Arsenal
12:55 , Will Castle25 mins: Concern for Leicester as James Justin goes down with what appears to be an ankle injury.
Leicester 0-0 Arsenal
12:53 , Will Castle21 mins: Arsenal trying to be patient in their build-up as they look to break down the Leicester defence.
They move it to the left but Sterling mistimes his run and an offside call stunts the attack.
Leicester 0-0 Arsenal
12:48 , Will Castle17 mins: Amidst the protests, El Khannouss is a source of threat for Leicester and whips in a dangerous cross towards Jamie Vardy - just too high for the Englishman to properly take it in his stride and put his foot through it.
Leicester 0-0 Arsenal
12:46 , Will Castle14 mins: “We want Rudkin out, say we want Rudkin out.”
That’s the chant that’s ringing around the King Power as Leicester fans stage their planned protest against the club’s director of football.
Leicester 0-0 Arsenal
12:42 , Will Castle10 mins: CHANCE! Opportunities at both ends!
Imaginative stuff from Martin Odegaard to flick a lofted ball over the entire Leicester back line and into the path of Trossard, but the Belgian can’t get enough power on the finish to trouble Hermansen. Replays showed he’d just strayed offside anyway.
Then breaking up the other end, Leicester have their best chance of the afternoon so far as Wilfred Ndidi hits a volley well from 18 yards out. David Raya gets behind it to save.
Leicester 0-0 Arsenal
12:37 , Will Castle7 mins: Lovely work from Nwaneri to glide past Ndidi and find Sterling on the left.
He slips it to Lewis-Skelley on the overlap who overhits his cross.
The Hale End boys are at the centre of Arsenal’s attacking efforts so far.
Leicester 0-0 Arsenal
12:36 , Will Castle5 mins: As expected, it’s Leandro Trossard down the middle for Arsenal today.
He hasn’t seen much of the ball so far - but after an edgy start, the Gunners are beginning to hold possession.
Leicester 0-0 Arsenal
12:32 , Will Castle2 mins: Bright start from Leicester as Jordan Ayew breaks into the box.
He just about keeps the ball in play on the byline before chipping one into the middle, but no-one in blue can get on the end of it.
KICK-OFF! Leicester 0-0 Arsenal
12:30 , Will Castle1 min: KICK-OFF! We’re underway at the King Power.
Closing in on kick-off
12:25 , Will CastleAll the action from the King Power Stadium, right here.
Arsenal face fierce test to kick off decisive period
12:21 , Will CastleMikel Arteta is not taking the challenge of Leicester lying down as they hope to keep pace in the title race.
“Leicester are very difficult with the way they play against top teams,” he said. “They're a real threat.
"We are going to start getting into the period when big competitions are decided.”
Van Nistelrooy's pre-match thoughts
12:18 , Will Castle"With Jamie [Vardy], he can get a goal and it's important for us on the number side of things,” Van Nistelrooy said, speaking on Jamie Vardy’s return.
"Against United we got up again and showed a good performance. With the small offside situation we didn't go into extra-time. We want to show these performances.
"It's what the standards should be - prepare yourself for the best."
Head-to-head
12:15 , Chris WilsonThese two sides have met a total of 112 times in the past, with Arsenal winning 57, Leicester winning 22 and 33 ending as draws.
The last time they faced off, Arsenal ran out 4-2 winners at the Emirates in September.
The Foxes’ last win over the Gunners came in October 2020, when a Jamie Vardy goal secured a 1-0 win at the Emirates.
Ruud van Nistelrooy responds to Leicester fans' protest
12:13 , Will CastleLeicester manager Ruud van Nistelrooy has urged protesting fans to get behind the players despite their frustration with the running of the club.
"Thank God we can live in a society where there is freedom of speech and everyone who feels they can let their voice heard is free to do that and we can all be happy they can do that," said Van Nistelrooy.
"I can only hope the support will be behind the players. Of course it's good if there is anything you want to get off your chest individually or in groups."
Leicester's important fixtures
12:10 , Chris WilsonWhile every match is important as a club looks to avoid relegation, there are a few that Leicester will be paying particular attention to.
The Foxes face fellow strugglers West Ham on 27 February, before taking on a Wolves side that is currently just two points above them on 26 April.
On 3 May – just three matches away from the end of the season – they play bottom club Southampton at home, before a potential six-pointer against Ipswich at the King Power in the penultimate game of the season.
If it comes to it, the last match 2024/25 sees the Foxes face Bournemouth away on 25 May.
Leicester protests to take centre stage
12:08 , Will CastleLeicester fans are bringing their dissatisfaction with the Foxes hierarchy to the forefront this afternoon as they protest against director of football Jon Rudkin.
In an effort to vocalise their frustrations at the running of the club, supporters have been asked to wear yellow at today’s game - a significant colour in Thailand, relating to the royal family, which will resonate with Leicester owner and chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha.
Supporters have also been asked to protest in the 14th minute, which references Adrien Silva's £22m move from Sporting in 2017 - a transfer shrouded in infamy after the Foxes missed the registration deadline by 14 seconds.
Premier League title race: Who has the best fixtures - Liverpool or Arsenal?
12:05 , Jamie BraidwoodThe Premier League is heading towards a frantic title race between Liverpool and Arsenal.
Liverpool remain in a strong position despite the “mayhem” of their Merseyside derby draw against Everton, with the Reds closing in on just a second league title in 35 years in manager Arne Slot’s first season at Anfield.
A calamitous campaign from reigning champions Manchester City looked to have opened the door for last year’s runners-up Arsenal, but the Gunners have endured a difficult season with injuries hitting Mikel Arteta’s squad hard.
There is still plenty of time for Arsenal to hunt Liverpool down, but the title race appears to be entering a decisive stretch of fixtures up until the March international break. It’s been an unpredictable year, so expect further twists and turns before May.
Liverpool’s fixtures compared to Arsenal’s as title race heats up
Mikel Arteta opens up about Havertz injury
12:03 , Will CastleMikel Arteta has reflected on Kai Havertz’s season-ending hamstring injury - which came as a result of blocking a shot in training.
"It was a surprise,” Arteta said. “It happened in a very strange manner.
“He is out, and we have plenty of good players - we will do very well. We have been like this all season.”
One of the silver linings to Arsenal’s recent injury crisis is the rise to prominence of their Hale End stars, with the Gunners manager heaping praise on Miles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri.
"It is great they're playing as we feel they're ready, and they can impact the team,” he added.
"They have to be surrounded with the right personalities. They're lucky that they have some very good players around them."
Leicester face relegation battle
12:00 , Chris WilsonNew Leicester manager Ruud van Nistelrooy has a difficult task on his hands as he looks to avoid relegation, with the Foxes languishing in 18th place ahead of the 15th round of fixtures.
At present, all of the newly promoted sides are occupying spots in the relegation zone, with Southampton already in dire straits with just nine points from 24 matches.
Leicester themselves are in 18th with 17 points, just two away from safety, though they themselves are under pressure from 19th-placed Ipswich, who are just a point behind.
This is how the bottom four looks ahead of the weekend:
17th – Wolves, 19pts
18th – Leicester City, 17pts
19th – Ipswich, 16pts
20th – Southampton, 9pts
Martin Odegaard calls for players to 'step up' amid injury woes
11:55 , Will Castle"Last year was brilliant after the break and it was good to get away for a little bit, get some more rest between games,” the Arsenal captain told TNT Sports. “It was good apart from the one injury [Kai Havertz].
"Every time you play you feel some kind of pressure. With injuries, the players here now need to step up and that's what we're going to try and do.
"We have to be on it. We have seen how they play against the big teams. They have a lot of quality and we have to be on it - we have to start strong."
Ian Wright urges Raheem Sterling to take Arsenal chance
11:45 , Jamie BraidwoodIan Wright fears Raheem Sterling could “go out with a whimper” unless the forward finds a way to make his Arsenal loan a success and steps up following Kai Havertz’s “devastating” injury.
Mikel Arteta’s Gunners are seven points behind leaders Liverpool in the Premier League title race and have seen hopes of catching them dented by some key attacking injuries.
Bukayo Saka has been out since December with a hamstring issue and Gabriel Jesus last month saw his campaign brought to a premature end by an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Arsenal tried to sign Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins during a fruitless winter window that been followed by reports that Havertz suffered a season-ending hamstring tear during the club’s warm-weather camp in Dubai.
Ian Wright urges Raheem Sterling to take Arsenal chance after Kai Havertz injury
Can Raheem Sterling finally get his Arsenal career going?
11:35 , Will CastleRaheem Sterling is awarded a rare start for the Gunners today as Mikel Arteta looks to roll with the punches following Kai Havertz’s season-ending injury.
Arsenal are now seriously lacking in attacking options and will be ever grateful if Sterling, who arrived from rivals Chelsea on loan in the summer, can finally rediscover his form of old.
Against relegation-threatened Leicester, the King Power Stadium provides the perfect stage for the ex-Man City and Liverpool man to show his worth.
Can Ethan Nwaneri play No 9?
11:25 , Jamie BraidwoodThe talented teenager has already scored seven first-team goals for Arsenal this season and Arteta believes he has the “qualities” to play centrally as well as out wide.
Nwaneri is just two goals off the record set by Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney for most senior goals before turning 18 - he does not turn 18 until 21 March.
"It's a question of when,” Arteta said when asked if Nwaneri could play down the middle. “He has the right qualities, to play out wide or centrally. We must adapt to the strengths of our players."
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Leicester vs Arsenal: Confirmed team news
11:21 , Will CastleLeicester XI: Hermansen, Justin, Faes, Okoli, Kristiansen, Ndidi, Soumaré, De Cordova-Reid, Ayew, El Khannouss, Vardy.
Subs: Stolarczyk, Coady, Vestergaard, Coulibaly, Winks, Skipp, Mavididi, Buonanotte, Daka.
Arsenal XI: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly, Partey, Rice, Odegaard, Nwaneri, Sterling, Trossard.
Subs: Neto, Calafiori, Zinchenko, Tierney, Kiwior, White, Jorginho, Merino, Butler-Oyedeji.
Mikel Arteta’s options to replace Kai Havertz
11:05 , Jamie BraidwoodArsenal manager Mikel Arteta admitted he will have to change his side’s tactical approach after Kai Havertz was ruled out for the rest of the season with a hamstring injury.
Havertz suffered the injury as he stretched to block a shot during Arsenal’s warm-weather training camp in Dubai and joins forwards Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus on the sidelines.
The Gunners are now expected to line-up with Raheem Sterling, Leandro Trossard and 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri in their attack when they visit Leicester on Saturday, as Arteta said he would have to change his tactics.
“We have to,” Arteta said. “It brings other opportunities. in the frontline we will have players who are unpredictable, good in one-v-ones, creative and sharp, they'll give headaches to opposition.”
Team news from the King Power will be landing in the next few minutes.
Mikel Arteta’s options to replace Kai Havertz as Arsenal’s injury crisis deepens
Kai Havertz’s injury leaves Arsenal with uncomfortable truth
10:50 , Jamie BraidwoodAs Mikel Arteta returned from Dubai, after a trip that was supposed to rejuvenate his squad, the Arsenal manager was poring over various ideas to navigate a proper injury crisis. Arteta’s staff are big on the maths of the pitch, and often run tactics through algorithms. Right now, only a few simple sums matter.
Arsenal did not sign a forward in January. That left an already shallow range of attacking options at risk from injury. Now, the worst has happened. Kai Havertz’s hamstring injury, which is expected to sideline the German for the rest of the season, means three first-choice attackers are out.
Kai Havertz’s injury leaves Arsenal with uncomfortable truth
Mikel Arteta blames packed schedule for Kai Havertz injury
10:30 , Jamie Braidwood“We train less than ever, it's normal. There's no time for training,” Mikel Arteta explained. “The problem is you don't train the muscle, you expose the muscle and the tendon to something they cannot recover.
“We've had players who are injured who've played 130 games in the last two seasons so it's an accident waiting to happen when you continue to load, load and load.
"The intensity is at a different level and the demands in terms of minutes in this competitive environment is getting higher and higher and it's a consequence of that. The amount of muscle and tendon injuries is higher than ever so there's a relationship.”
Mikel Arteta blames packed schedule for Kai Havertz injury: ‘There’s no time for training’
10:10 , Jamie BraidwoodMikel Arteta has blamed the packed footballing schedule for Arsenal’s latest injury blow, claiming there is “no time for training” after Kai Havertz suffered a hamstring problem.
Havertz is set to miss the rest of the campaign after injuring himself at a warm-weather training camp in Dubai while stretching to block a shot.
Arteta had taken his squad away to the United Arab Emirates in the hopes of refreshing them ahead of what could be a hectic period across competitions as they look to chase down Liverpool at the top of the Premier League.
But the manager is now without his first four forward options, with Gabriel Jesus recovering from knee surgery and both Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka also dealing with hamstring issues.
Arteta believes that a lack of training time may be to blame for the similar issues sustained by his players, with the London club playing twice a week regularly across the season.
Mikel Arteta blames schedule for Kai Havertz injury: ‘There’s no time for training’
Mikel Arteta insists Arsenal can cope with Kai Havertz injury
09:50 , Jamie BraidwoodArsenal have had to deal with significant injury misfortune this season, with key figures like captain Martin Odegaard and centre-half William Saliba also missing periods of time. Mikel Arteta is confident that his squad can still keep performing well even as the injury issues mount.
“We were having a great camp in Dubai, recharging, training, having some time off and connecting again,” Arteta explained as his side prepare to return to action. “And then the injury happened in an unexpected way. It is a big blow, obviously, because of the injuries that we have.
“Fortunately, we have been through a lot this season. We have played without Gabriel Magalhaes, Saliba, [Ben] White all season, [Takehiro] Tomiyasu all season. [Riccardo] Calafiori missed two months, [MIkel] Merino two months, Saka three months, Gabriel Jesus. All of them! That’s the challenge I have. I love it and I’m looking forward. Let’s see what the team is made of.”
Mikel Arteta insists Arsenal can cope with Kai Havertz injury
09:30 , Jamie BraidwoodMikel Arteta has insisted that Arsenal can cope with the absence of Kai Havertz for the rest of the season even with the manager now without his first four forward options.
Havertz will miss the remainder of the campaign after suffering a hamstring issue while away in Dubai on a warm weather training camp with the rest of the squad.
He joins Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka on the sidelines with Arteta’s forward resources significantly depleted.
Leandro Trossard, Raheem Sterling and Ethan Nwaneri appear likely to form the front three against Leicester on Saturday as Arteta’s side look to keep up their pursuit of Premier League leaders Liverpool.
Arteta insists Arsenal can cope with Havertz injury and provides update on Saka
What is the Arsenal team news?
09:10 , Jamie BraidwoodFor Mikel Arteta, the main question surrounds who to play across the front three, with Havertz’s injury added to concerns over Gabriel Martinelli, who could be out for around a month after coming off during the loss to Newcastle.
Other than that, Arsenal’s only other injuries are longer-term, with Gabriel Jesus ruled out for the rest of the season. Bukayo Saka and Takehiro Tomiyasu are both nearing a return, though it may be a couple of weeks yet for both.
In more positive news, Ben White could be fit enough to make the squad this weekend, having been out since November.
What is the Leicester team news?
09:05 , Jamie BraidwoodRuud van Nistelrooy has no new injury concerns after his side’s controversial loss to Manchester United in the FA Cup, with Issahaku Fatawu the only long-term absence.
Jamie Vardy, Jannik Vestergaard and Victor Kristiansen could all return after suffering knocks, though Ricardo Pereira is still a couple of weeks away.
When is Leicester vs Arsenal?
09:01 , Jamie BraidwoodLeicester vs Arsenal is due to kick off at 12.30pm on Saturday, 15 February at the Emirates Stadium in London.
How can I watch it?
The match will be broadcast live in the UK on TNT Sports 1, with coverage starting at 11.30am. Subscribers can watch online via discovery+.
You can purchase a TNT Sports subscription via discovery+ here, for only £30.99 per month.
Good morning
09:00 , Jamie BraidwoodArsenal return to Premier League action after almost a fortnight as they face a struggling Leicester City side at the King Power Stadium.
Mikel Arteta’s side exited the Carabao Cup last week after a 4-0 aggregate defeat to Newcastle, but they are still in the hunt for a first Premier League title since 2004 as they trail Liverpool by seven points ahead of the weekend.
Though a season-ending injury to Kai Havertz compounds an injury crisis of sorts for the Gunners, all they can do is continue to try to pick up points ahead of a crunch match at Anfield in early May.
And today they face a Leicester side who find themselves in 18th place, two points away from safety, after a difficult start to life at the helm for Ruud van Nistelrooy.
