Arsenal v Leicester City
Wednesday April 26, 19:45


Arsenal

Gunners' fans have been treated for symptoms of déjà vu in their droves in the last few seasons, but they finally saw something different on Sunday, as Arsene Wenger's men battled their way to a 2-1 victory over Manchester City in the semi-finals of the FA Cup. This was the snarling Arsenal of yesteryear, ready to back each other up, prepared to match their opponents physically. Despite trailing with 20 minutes left, Arsenal found a way to win the tie.

That Wembley win is by no means a panacea, but it gives Arsenal momentum going forward, as they look to salvage a trophy and Champions League qualification from a season that threatened to be a total washout. Wenger has admitted that many observers question the mental toughness of his players, and now they must prove their mettle over the next seven league games, and an FA Cup final against Chelsea. It shows just how inconsistent Arsenal have been that theOpta stats show they are looking to secure back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time since late January.

Apart from a jarring and barely explicable home defeat to Watford, and the now traditional humiliation at the hands of Bayern Munich, Arsenal's form at the Emirates has actually been very good. They have won seven of their last nine Premier League home games, and they have scored at least twice in seven of those encounters.

Wenger is likely to retain the three-man defence that has breathed new life into the campaign. Shkodran Mustafi is still struggling with a thigh problem, and may miss out, whileHector Bellerin is pushing for a start as a right-sided wing-back.


Leicester City

Having pitted their wits against Champions League stalwarts Atletico Madrid, Premier League champions Leicester City must now make sure that they still achieve their primary objective, which is retaining their top-flight status. One more win from their remaining six games is likely to do the trick, as it will take the Foxes to the magic 40-point mark.

The Opta stats suggest that victory is unlikely to come in north London. Leicester have lost their last nine Premier League games at Arsenal, and they haven't won any of their last 20 league matches against them, a sequence that stretches back to 1994.

Although Craig Shakespeare has elicited a massively positive response from the Leicester players since he replaced Claudio Ranieri as manager, Leicester's away form is still distinctly underwhelming. They have only won once away from home all season in the league, and in all competitions they have lost six of their last eight on the road.

Skipper Wes Morgan could return after a hamstring injury, but striker Islam Slimani is out. The former Porto forward has a groin injury.


Match Odds

Arsenal are trading at 1.62 for the win, and given their home form and Leicester's frankly abysmal body of work away from the King Power this term, that feels about right. If you fancy the Gunners to win by more than one goal, you could back them -1.0 on the Asian Handicap at 2.04.


Over/Under 2.5 Goals

The market expects goals, with Over 2.5 Goals trading at a skinny 1.51. Leicester have scored twice in each of their last seven Premier League games, while Arsenal have seen 11 of their last 12 league games feature three goals or more. I'm going for Over 3.5 Goals at 2.22, a bet that has landed in six of Arsenal's last 12 PL outings, and five of Leicester's last seven.


Recommended Bets


Back Over 3.5 Goals at 2.22
Back Arsenal -1.0 on the Asian Handicap at 2.04



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