Arsenal pulled off a vital away win over Leicester City at the King Power Stadium in a tightly contested Premier League encounter.

Gabriel Martinelli's goal just after half-time proved to be the difference between the two sides, with Mikel Arteta's men coming away with a crucial three points in their quest for the title. 

Arsenal dominated the opening exchanges, but Leicester City came close to scoring on a couple of occasions. Both sides had goals disallowed for offside in the first half, with the match poised at 0-0 at the break.

Martinelli broke the deadlock for Arsenal just a minute into the second half, and the Gunners held on for the win despite Leicester's late pressure.

The visitors move five points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League, while Leicester sit just three points above the relegation zone.

Story of the Match

James Maddison was out of the team due to illness and Dennis Praet took his place in the starting lineup for Leicester City. Wilfred Ndidi also came in for Nampalys Mendy at the base of midfield and was handed the captain's armband.

For Arsenal, Eddie Nketiah dropped to the bench and Leandro Trossard was given a starting place. Thomas Partey made his return to the squad after a couple of games out, while Jorginho and Oleksandr Zinchenko were also in the starting lineup. 

The return of Thomas Partey to the bench was a welcome boost and they will be hoping that he can soon return to the starting lineup. The Gunners have been in fantastic form in recent weeks, as they aim to continue their impressive run of results, in their bid for a first Premier League title in over a decade.

The match started with Arsenal putting pressure on Leicester City  from the outset. However, Leicester  weathered the early storm, and Kelechi Iheanacho had a fantastic chip over Aaron Ramsdale disallowed for offside in the first half.

Arsenal had their own goal marked off five minutes before the break, when a Trossard strike was ruled out for a foul by Ben White in the build-up. The first half ended goalless, with neither side able to break the deadlock.

The visitors dominated possession, but could not quite find the cutting edge to go into the break ahead, as the Foxes disrupted the visitors' flow effectively.

The game was ultimately decided by the half-time team talks - with Arteta coming out on top. 

The second half started in explosive fashion, with Martinelli opening the scoring for Arsenal just a minute after the restart. The Brazilian forward found the bottom corner of the net with a right-footed shot from inside the box, following a clever assist from Trossard.

Leicester responded strongly and pushed hard for an equaliser. Jamie Vardy, who was brought on as a substitute, had a chance to level the scores but his shot was blocked.

They then suffered a further setback in the 88th minute when Youri Tielemans was forced off with an injury, leaving them a player short for the final minutes of the game. 

A hard-fought win for Arsenal, who showed their title credentials with a strong performance on the road. It was an intense game with quality throughout, but Martinelli's moment of brilliance proved to be the difference between the two sides.

Overall, the match was an intriguing contest between two teams with very different objectives. Arsenal showed their title credentials with a solid performance on the road, while Leicester City will be hoping to build on their encouraging display as they look to climb the table.

The Premier League title race is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in recent years, and Arsenal will be looking to continue their impressive form, as they look to be crowned champions come the end of the season.

(Photo by Plumb Images/<strong><a  data-cke-saved-href='https://www.vavel.com/en/football/2023/02/24/premier-league/1138681-leicester-vs-arsenal-premier-league-preview-gameweek-25-2023.html' href='https://www.vavel.com/en/football/2023/02/24/premier-league/1138681-leicester-vs-arsenal-premier-league-preview-gameweek-25-2023.html'>Leicester City</a></strong> FC via Getty Images)
Photo by Plumb Images via Getty Images

Player of the Match - Gabriel Martinelli

Martinelli was undoubtedly the star of the show for Arsenal and his performance will have delighted manager Mikel Arteta. The Brazilian forward showed his quality against Leicester City with a clinical finish to give his side the lead.

Martinelli's pace and directness caused problems for the Leicester City defence throughout the whole game, and he deservedly took home the man-of-the-match award.

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