Thrifty win for frontrunner Arsenal, despite huge advantage against Leicester

Arsenal consolidated its lead in the Premier League with a win at Leicester City (0-1). Closest rival Manchester City will visit Bournemouth later in the day and can reduce the difference to two points if they win, though with one more game played.

Leicester City is this season in nothing like the team that surprisingly became champions of England in 2016. The club only managed to win seven times and local hero Jamie Vardy (36 by now and not always a base player anymore) seems to have seen the best of it, with only one league goal this year.

Leicester are now even in danger of relegation soccer, having barely featured in the game against the table leader. Only the Brazilian Tetê got another chance, during the only phase in which the Londoners briefly struggled.

Because otherwise it was Arsenal that dominated, but thus struggled to score. Despite 75 percent ball possession and seven goal attempts, it was still 0-0 at halftime, partly because a beautiful curler by Leandro Trossard after a deflected corner was disallowed. Keeper Danny Ward was obstructed.

Immediately after halftime, Gabriel Martinelli did outsmart Leicester’s goalkeeper, after which a goal by Bukayo Saka (offside) also failed. Oleksandr Zintshenko and Gabriel were kept from a goal by Ward.

Number three Manchester United will not be in action in the Premier League this weekend, but will play the League Cup final against Newcastle United on Sunday.