Monday, September 1, 2014

Leicester 1-1 Arsenal


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Photo from : https://twitter.com/Arsenal/status/506205406583353344/photo/1



Leonardo Ulloa's second Barclays Premier League goal of the season earned Leicester City a 1-1 draw against Arsenal on Sunday.
Leicester's record signing headed home in the 22nd minute to immediately cancel out Alexis Sanchez's first league goal for Arsenal since joining from Barcelona.
Ulloa's intervention proved enough to earn a valuable point as the visitors failed to find a winner in an entertaining encounter at the King Power Stadium.
Arsenal headed into the match desperate to cap a good week, having qualified for the UEFA Champions League group phase for the 17th successive season on Wednesday.
Yet an inspired Ulloa proved a handful and, with Leicester also defending doggedly, Arsene Wenger's men had to settle for a share of the spoils.
Arsenal have now collected a win and two draws from the opening three Barclays Premier League fixtures of 2014-15, with Leicester taking two points from the same number of matches.
The home side began confidently, Ritchie De Laet sending in a teasing cross for Ulloa, whose attempt to control the ball flew straight to Wojciech Szczesny.
Arsenal found themselves briefly depleted when Laurent Koscielny was forced to go to the dressing room for stitches to a head wound following a nasty collision with Jeffrey Schlupp.
And Leicester almost made full use of their one-man advantage when Riyad Mahrez fired just wide following a fine one-two with Ulloa.
But, soon after Koscielny returned to the field, Arsenal took the lead through Sanchez after 20 minutes.
Santi Cazorla's wonderful lobbed pass freed Yaya Sanogo and, after the striker's effort was blocked by Kasper Schmeichel, the Chilean was left with a simple finish.
Yet Leicester found an immediate riposte through Ulloa, who met Schlupp's stunning cross with a powerful header that gave Szczesny no chance.
Koscielny, still suffering from the effects of his earlier injury, was left flat-footed for the goal and it came as no surprise when Calum Chambers replaced him.
Arsenal continued to dominate possession after half-time, but were fortunate not fall behind when Ulloa chipped into the side-netting after brilliantly turning Chambers.
The visitors fashioned a couple of chances of their own almost immediately after, Aaron Ramsey heading tamely at Schmeichel before Sanogo hit straight at the goalkeeper when clean through.
Leicester, though, were always on hand to fire warning shots of their own, David Nugent seeing a goal-bound effort blocked following good work from the outstanding Ulloa.
The game entered something of a lull thereafter as neat Arsenal football failed to bring chances.
That impasse ended when substitute Jamie Vardy came agonisingly close to grabbing a second Leicester goal, Szczesny producing a fine reactionary save.
Leicester manager Nigel Pearson: "It was another illustration of how difficult the Premier League can be. I think we have played better and been more assured in possession, but we still had flashes of the ability to create things, which is going to be pivotal this season.
"Against a very good possession side, we still felt we looked dangerous on the counter-attack and occasionally put together some decent moves.
"There is a lot of promise; it's a matter of how quickly we can learn. I do think we have more to come. We have some real ability that has not been maximised. We have come up against some pretty special sides so far and I think we have acquitted ourselves pretty well.
"We are disappointed not to win. I don't want us coming out of games happy with a point because we have to win enough to meet our objectives this season."
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger: "We did not create enough clear-cut chances and they fought very hard.
"We missed a few opportunities but I think we lacked some creativity and sharpness.
"We have had a tough two weeks with three away games; it is not an excuse but we are a bit jaded.
"We wanted so much to win it that we lost caution and we were more open to counter-attacks and we could have lost it."
[On the transfer market] "It is finding the personnel that is the problem. We are open and are working on it but let's not fool ourselves into thinking that every time you don't win you need to buy a new player.
"It is not because you buy one player that you win. We want to and we are hoping to. But we are very active [in the transfer market].”
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