Arsenal ended a run of two consecutive away Premier League defeats with an impressive 3-1 victory over high-flying Leicester City on Sunday.

Mikel Arteta's men fought back from an early Youri Tielemans goal to score through David Luiz, Alexandre Lacazette and Nicolas Pepe, ending a three-game losing streak at the King Power Stadium in the top flight.

The result means Arsenal closed to within three points of sixth-place Liverpool, having played a game more, while Leicester stay third and 13 points behind leaders Manchester City.

Tielemans gave Leicester the lead with a precise finish after being allowed to run unchecked into the Arsenal box, with Kieran Tierney out of position and Pablo Mari distracted by Jamie Vardy.

It was the fourth time the Gunners had conceded in the opening six minutes of a league game in 2021, but it seemed to spark them into life, with Pepe winning a penalty only for VAR to determine he was fouled outside the box.

David Luiz deservedly equalised six minutes before the break, steering a fine header past Kasper Schmeichel from Willian's free-kick, and the visitors were ahead in injury time.

Pepe's shot was blocked by the raised arm of Wilfred Ndidi and this time VAR ruled in favour of a penalty, allowing Lacazette to smash home from the spot.

Injury problems struck each team either side of the break, with Emile Smith-Rowe limping off for the Gunners before Leicester's Harvey Barnes was taken off on a stretcher, his left leg in a brace.

Arsenal scored their third soon afterwards, Pepe leading a counter-attack and then tapping a loose ball into the net after good work from Martin Odegaard and Willian.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang came off the bench and almost made it 4-1, skipping into space and firing just wide of the right-hand post.
 

 

What does it mean? Gunners into top 10 as concern builds for Leicester

Given their poor start to the game, Arsenal's performance was as assured as any they have produced in recent weeks and lifted them back into the league's top 10.

Leicester stay third but, after a surprise Europa League exit to Slavia Prague this week, this was not the way Brendan Rodgers will have wanted them to respond.

The Foxes will hope these defeats do not point to a repeat of 2019-20. They lost on February 28 last year, away to Norwich City, during a six-game winless run that prompted a poor end to their season and a failure to see out a top-four finish.

Pepe starting to peak

Pepe menaced full-back Luke Thomas in the first half to the extent the Leicester man was substituted at half-time on a yellow card.

Having won the free-kick for the equaliser and Lacazette's penalty, Pepe then started and finished the move that effectively killed the game. He has now scored four times in his most recent seven league starts, as many as in his previous 21 across all competitions.

Leicester lose identity

Leicester seemed out of sorts after going ahead and barely threatened Bernd Leno's goal from then on, with Jamie Vardy strangely isolated in attack.

The man who scored 11 goals in his first 12 league meetings with Arsenal had 21 touches and failed even to attempt a shot.

What's next?

Arsenal head to Burnley next Saturday, three days after Leicester face the same opposition at Turf Moor.

Real Madrid are reportedly planning a €90million move for Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland ahead of next season.

Haaland, 20, is being targeted by Europe's biggest clubs after starring for the Bundesliga outfit.

Madrid are ready to make a move for Haaland ahead of 2021-22.

 

TOP STORY – REAL MADRID PLAN €90M HAALAND MOVE

Real Madrid are plotting a €90m move for Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland, according to ABC.

The report says the LaLiga giants will attempt to get Luka Jovic, who is on loan at Eintracht Frankfurt, or Mariano Diaz to be part of the deal.

Haaland has scored 23 goals in as many games for Dortmund this season.

ROUND-UP

- After landing Dayot Upamecano, Bayern Munich have other targets in mind. Bild reports the Bundesliga giants are also interested in Norwich City full-back Max Aarons, Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Florian Neuhaus, Rennes' Eduardo Camavinga and Lucien Agoume, who is on loan at Spezia from Inter. The Daily Mail also says Bayern are stepping up their pursuit of Aarons.

- David Luiz looks set to extend his Arsenal stay. The Independent claims the Premier League side are set to offer the defender another extension, with his deal expiring at season's end.

- Staying at Arsenal and Alexandre Lacazette's future at the club seems uncertain. The Daily Express reports Arsenal have been told they can sign Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard for just £15m.

- Without a club since leaving Trabzonspor in March last year, Daniel Sturridge has been offered to Newcastle United, according to 90min. West Brom and Sheffield United are also reportedly interested in Sturridge.

Arsenal have failed in their attempt to overturn the red card David Luiz received in Tuesday's 2-1 Premier League defeat against Wolves.

The veteran centre-back was dismissed shortly before the break at Molineux with the VAR upholding the decision of referee Craig Pawson, who judged David Luiz had made contact with the heel of Willian Jose.

Ruben Neves converted the resulting spot-kick to cancel out Nicolas Pepe's opener and Joao Moutinho scored the winner in a match the Gunners finished with nine men after goalkeeper Bernd Leno also saw red.

Head coach Mikel Arteta confirmed Arsenal had launched an appeal against the decision but the Football Association (FA) has dismissed the claim, meaning David Luiz will miss out against Aston Villa on Saturday.

An Arsenal statement read: "The Football Association have confirmed to us that the red card given to David Luiz on Tuesday against Wolverhampton Wanderers will stand.

"We have worked really hard to overturn David Luiz's red card. We presented our case to the FA but are disappointed that our appeal has been unsuccessful.

"We accept the FA's decision and continue our preparations for Saturday's match against Aston Villa."

Southampton enjoyed a slither of good news from their 9-0 embarrassment at Manchester United, though, after the FA did overturn a red card awarded to Jan Bednarek.

The defender was harshly dismissed by referee Mike Dean for a last-man foul on Anthony Martial with the score already at 6-0.

Following the game, Saints dismissed reports they had officially requested Dean and fourth official Lee Mason no longer be involved in their matches.

Bednarek, though, is free to feature when Southampton aim to rebound at Newcastle United this weekend.

A club statement read: "Southampton defender Jan Bednarek will be available for Saturday's trip to Newcastle, after the club successfully appealed his dismissal in Tuesday's match against Manchester United.

"Bednarek was shown a straight red card during the second half at Old Trafford, having been judged to have denied Anthony Martial an obvious goalscoring opportunity.

"The club immediately appealed the decision, and a review by an independent regulatory commission at the Football Association has now led to the card being rescinded."

Arsenal have lodged an appeal against the red card shown to David Luiz in Tuesday's loss to Wolves, Mikel Arteta has confirmed.

The defender was shown a straight red card after making minimal contact with Willian Jose's heel on the stroke of half-time and VAR upheld the decision made by refereee Craig Pawson.

Ruben Neves converted the resulting penalty to cancel out Nicolas Pepe's opener and Joao Moutinho secured the three points for Wolves, as Arsenal finished with nine men after Bernd Leno was dismissed for inexplicably handling outside his area.

Arteta did not feel David Luiz could be solely blamed for leaving his team-mates a player short and hoped to hear back on an appeal against the sending off on Thursday.

"I am very hopeful and that's why we put the appeal on, we went through the images and we think that the red card should be overruled, that's why we put in the appeal," Arteta said ahead of Saturday's meeting with Aston Villa.

"I don't know how long it will take but hopefully today we will have more information.

"We know the law. For me, it's more about the decision, and what happens in that instance. There was a very similar incident, even though David is behind him and against Manchester United he was on the side of the player, it completely changes the angle and how much it affects the players ability to finish the action, but still a similar situation. I think they will look at it.

"You look at the two images we can have a long, long debate here. Just to put the finger on David, in my opinion, is not fair."

Arsenal have received a Premier League-high of five red cards this season but Arteta is not concerned by a potential lack of discipline in his squad.

The only dismissals that truly bothered him were the avoidable ones dished out to Pepe at Leeds United and Granit Xhaka against Burnley, where incidents away from the ball ended their outings early.  

"When I was worried about the discipline it was on two occasions, with Nico and with Granit. We should avoid that," said Arteta.

"There are other ones where in a split second you have to make a decision, the referee has to make a decision as well, and there is much less to control from our side.

"What is clear is when you have five red cards in this period you will lose a lot of points. If we had some of those points we would be in a completely different position on the table.

"No team with five red cards is on top of the table, it doesn't happen."

Mikel Arteta questioned the decision to send off David Luiz after the defender was one of two Arsenal players to be dismissed in a 2-1 defeat at Wolves.

Arsenal appeared set to go in at half-time deservedly ahead following Nicolas Pepe's opener, only for David Luiz to concede a penalty following a challenge on Willian Jose.

The Brazilian centre-back was shown a red card by referee Craig Pawson following a VAR check, though Arteta insisted he could not see any contact after studying replays of the incident.

Ruben Neves converted from the spot before Joao Moutinho's long-range strike put the hosts ahead shortly after the break, with any hopes of a fightback disappearing for Arsenal when goalkeeper Bernd Leno was given his marching orders for handling the ball outside the area.

For Arteta, though, it was the David Luiz call that left him frustrated, particularly after his side had played so well up until that crucial moment in the contest.

"First of all, I have to say that I'm proud of my team, the way we played and the way we dominated the first half," Arteta told the media.

"We should have been 3-0 or 4-0 up. We didn't do that, though, and we put ourselves in a really difficult position by conceding the goal and going a man down. 

"I have seen the replay 10 times from five different angles and I cannot see any contact. I would like to see if VAR has a different angle. I'm expecting to see something and I'm not seeing anything. 

"We were really animated at half-time because we really wanted to win the game. The boys were so convinced to go out there and have a real go. 

"We didn't concede any chances but Moutinho scores a worldie and it's 2-1. Then, when Bernd comes out and hits the ball with his hand, we're down to nine men and almost impossible to win the game."

Since making his league debut for Arsenal in August 2019, David Luiz has picked up three red cards and conceded six penalties, more than any other player in the competition in both categories.

Arteta - who has seen his team shown nine Premier League red cards since taking charge, six more than any other top-flight team - admitted the result was tough to take.

"The way we lost the game really hurts. It's painful," he said. 

"I have to take the positives as well, which is the way we played against this team that is very difficult to attack, the amount of chances we created. But we leave the ground and have zero points and have lost two important players. 

"It's hard enough to win football games in this league. There's nothing we can change. It was a big decision, if they got it right and can justify they got it right, I'll put my hand up and apologise. 

"The only thing I'm saying is that I’m sitting here and I cannot see any contact. That's really, really frustrating, because it's a big, big moment in the game."

Asked if Arsenal may issue an appeal against the red card for David Luiz, Arteta replied: "Where I’m standing now, I'd say yes – let's go straight away. But I don't know, we will have to speak to the legal team at the club and decide if it is the best thing."

Runar Alex Runarsson came on to take over from Leno in goal, with recent recruit Mat Ryan ruled out with a muscle issue. Arteta revealed he is hopeful the Australia international can be fit in time for Saturday's trip to Aston Villa.

Mikel Arteta is not ruling out David Luiz receiving a new deal at Arsenal and reminded those players on expiring contracts that they can earn an extension through their performances on the pitch. 

David Luiz made his return from a spell out with illness in Saturday's FA Cup third-round clash with Newcastle United, playing 120 minutes in what was just his third appearance since the start of December. 

The 33-year-old has also missed time due to a hamstring problem and a head injury this season, limiting him to 14 outings in all competitions. 

Among defenders to have made at least 40 Premier League appearances since the start of last season, David Luiz is among a group to have kept the fewest clean sheets (eight, along with Adam Webster, Lucas Digne and Yerry Mina). 

However, Arsenal have only conceded 47 goals while he has been on the pitch, with only Virgil van Dijk (44), Serge Aurier (42) and Kyle Walker (35) shipping fewer. 

David Luiz's contract at Emirates Stadium will expire at the end of the season but Arteta suggested he could yet play his way into an offer of fresh terms. 

"David had a really difficult season because he had three different things that have kept him away from training and games, which is unusual because he's normally he's always available," said Arteta. 

"He had to deal with that and then he had to play 120 minutes and I think he was exceptional, just the way he handled the game against a difficult number nine like Andy Carroll and to play for 120 minutes as well at his age with not much was a real test and I really like what he did. 

"He is fantastic. He's one of the leaders in the dressing room. He's one of the most experienced players and he's won everything in the game.

"He is so good with the young kids. When you look at people who can help and be a role model, he is always with them, he is always supporting them, giving them confidence and advice. It is great to have someone like him around.

"We will see what happens. There's a lot of things happening around the club. A lot of decisions to make. I don't want to rush any decisions. I just want players to be focused.

"They know they have six months left or eight months left, some of them a year, they know their contracts are like that and we can't change them right now. I think it's time to be focused.

"We've been through a difficult period in the last few weeks and I just want people to focus on football. If you do what you have to do on the football pitch you will deserve the chance to keep with us if this is what you want."

Shkodran Mustafi, Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Mesut Ozil are only contracted to Arsenal until the end of the season, while Dani Ceballos' loan deal will end at that point.

Alexandre Lacazette, Eddie Nketiah, Calum Chambers and Mohamed Elneny are on deals that run until June 2022.

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