12 Jun 2019
There is plenty on the line for both these clubs when they meet in a fascinating Premier League clash on Sunday (12.00pm).
Leicester are tenth, chasing seventh place in the table, which could bring a Europa League spot if Manchester City defeat Watford in the FA Cup final on May 18.
Wolves currently occupy seventh spot and are three points clear of the Foxes, who also must climb above Everton and Watford if they are to be the ‘best of the rest’.
Arsenal are in the race for a top-four spot and currently sit fifth, a point behind fourth-placed Chelsea with three games remaining. They have a marginally better goal difference than the Blues (plus-two goals). The Gunners are 11/10 to finish in the top four.
They also have a chance of Champions League football next season should they win the Europa League. They face a two-legged semi-final with Valencia, with the first leg on Thursday. The Gunners are 2/1 to win the Europa League, with Chelsea, who tackle Eintracht Frankfurt, favourites at 11/8.
Wolves’ 3-1 demolition of Arsenal on Wednesday, which came hot on the heels of a 3-2 home defeat by Crystal Palace, means the Gunners likely need three wins from three remaining games to make the top four, although rivals Chelsea and Manchester United face each other later on Sunday.
Leicester have a woeful record against Arsenal, however. They have won just two of the last 36 meetings dating back to April 1984 and last season’s 3-1 victory was their first over the Gunners since 1994. Brendan Rodgers’ side are 17/10 to beat Arsenal and secure back-to-back home wins against the Gunners for the first time since November 1983.
Not that Arsenal’s record has been overwhelmingly good at the King Power Stadium, having won three, drawn five and lost one of their last nine visits. Arsenal are 6/4 to win and avoid a third successive Premier League defeat.
The draw, which has occurred on 44 of 140 meetings, is available at 13/5.
TEAM NEWS
Arsenal boss Unai Emery is sweating on the fitness of top scorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who missed the clash with Wolves, having undergone a sinus procedure.
The 29-year-old has scored 24 goals and provided seven assists in 45 appearances so far this season and Emery can’t afford to do without such an influential figure with crucial games upcoming.
He is currently at the top of the Premier League goal-scoring charts along with Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah. Aubameyang is 7/2 to be crowned EPL top scorer, while Salah and Aguero are respectively priced at 7/4.
The Gabon striker is the only serious concern for Emery – he is Evens to score at any time against Leicester and 9/2 to score two or more – although Denis Suarez could be given a little more time to recover from a niggling groin injury.
Aaron Ramsey will be rested, having pulled a hamstring in the Europa League quarter-final second-leg tie with Napoli. The Gunners must also do without injured Rob Holding, Danny Welbeck and Hector Bellerin for the rest of the season.
The defeat at Molineux means that there may be a change in formation, as the 4-2-3-1 system was exploited by the hosts’ lightning-quick counter-attacks. Expect to see a three-man defence, with Mesut Ozil, who is 10/3 to score at any time, likely to be employed in a more attacking formation behind Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette.
In seven outings under Rodgers (avove), Leicester have registered four Premier League victories, but a home defeat to Newcastle and a fortunate 2-2 draw at West Ham on Saturday has taken the sheen off a good recent run.
The Foxes have no serious injury concerns, although Rodgers has yet to confirm when midfielder Daniel Amartey will return from a broken leg sustained in October.
Winger Marc Albrighton, who made his first start last week following two months out with a hamstring injury, is expected to keep his place, and Rodgers could name the same starting XI that faced West Ham last weekend, with Jamie Vardy leading the line again.
The former England striker has had a resurgence of form since the Northern Irishman took charge from Claude Puel and has scored nine goals in his last 10 league games, including the first goal against West Ham last week.
The 32-year-old marksman is 23/20 to score at any time and is 5/1 to score two or more.
FLY IN FOR TOP GUNNERS?
Arsenal cannot afford to slip up. By their own lofty standards, they have been poor away from home this season, winning just two of their last 11 Premier League matches on the road (D3 L6). While the host Brighton next week, they still have to travel to Burnley on the final day.
Arsenal were ripped apart by three goals in 19 first-half minutes at Molineux as Wolves gained their first top-flight win over them since 1979.
However, despite not having a cutting edge up front, the Gunners had 71 percent possession.
Conversely, Leicester were outplayed for large parts of their clash at West Ham and were fortunate that an assistant referee, who mistakenly ruled out a third Hammers’ goal for offside, helped them to take advantage and secure a last-gasp leveller through Harvey Barnes.
Goals are usually on the cards when these two sides clash. Both teams have found the net in 10 of their last 12 meetings and that strong BTTS trend means it is 1/2 that both sides score on Sunday.
No less than 15 of the last 23 meetings saw three total goals or more scored and it is 8/13 for over 2.5 goals to be scored again.
The Gunners have a decent scoring record at Leicester’s home ground, having failed to find the net in just three of their last 16 visits, so it is little wonder that they are 2/9 to score at least once (over 0.5 goals). It is 12/5 that they win and over 2.5 total goals are scored in the game.
Given their decent record against Leicester, there will be some who feel the Gunners are value at 4/9 to win or draw this clash on the Double Chance market.
To see all the odds on this clash, click here.
