Nketiah sees red, Saka 8/10 as Arsenal miss massive chance in the Champions League race

Burley: Arsenal were only good for 45 minutes (1:31)

While Arsenal appear to be improving, Craig Burley is still waiting for a complete 90 minute performance. (1:31)

Arsenal suffered a second-half collapse at the Emirates as they drew 1-1 with Leicester City in the Premier League on Tuesday.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang got Mikel Arteta's men off to a flying start after just 20 minutes, turning the ball home following a strong Bukayo Saka run and pass. They held that lead until Jamie Vardy poked home a late goal to salvage a point for Leicester, with the Gunners dropping off substantially after Eddie Nketiah was sent off with a straight red on 75 minutes for a lunging tackle on James Justin.

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You're always going to get slick passing when Arsenal are at home, and this was no different. They found some nice openings behind the full-backs and exploited them at will, with the key difference being their overwhelming speed once they found that killer through ball. As the game wore on, though, they were far more patient, allowing them to wear away at any momentum Leicester created.


At times in the first half, they were really stuck in their final third, with the Foxes pushing them back, and as the second half went on, you could feel them retract slightly, allowing Leicester more time on the ball in the process. When the visitors tried to pull them down the wing, they often committed far too many men to the cause -- which, naturally, created an awful lot of space.

Nketiah's red card, coming just four minutes after he came on, was a crushing blow, as Arsenal conceded late and thus missed a chance to climb back into the race for Champions League football.

Manager rating out of 10

7 -- Mikel Arteta took a risk in starting two centre-backs who are prone to making mistakes, and in the end, it came back to bite him. He also put significant trust in a strong front three with some solid cover down the flanks. Defensively speaking, you can see the work he has been putting in with his side, but it's a shame that the hard work was undone late in the game, once they went down to 10 men. The Spaniard's clear direction and constant communication will be welcomed at a club such as Arsenal, and his patience in making substitutions will be another good sign heading into the final stretch of the campaign.


GK Emiliano Martinez, 7 -- He wants to make the starting spot his own, and he's doing just that. From his confidence in coming off the line to two important saves against Kelechi Iheanacho, this was another stellar showing.

DF Shkodran Mustafi, 5 -- The controversial defender was strong in the air and looked more assured than he has in a long time. His effectiveness, though, wore off in a big way, as he failed to clear the ball for Leicester's equaliser.

DF David Luiz, 6 -- From an instinctive standpoint, he was on the money, but when given extended time to make a decision, the Brazilian often second-guesses himself.

DF Sead Kolasinac, 6 -- After slotting into a makeshift defensive midfield role, he was assertive and powerful, but once again, he started to drift into reckless territory once Arsenal's lead evaporated.

DF Hector Bellerin, 5 -- Even the simplest tasks were a problem for the former Barcelona man, with his crossing and overall pace hindering Arsenal going forward.

DF Kieran Tierney, 7 -- The ex-Celtic star thrives when put into high-pressure situations, and in addition to being strong on the overlap, he was tireless with his work at the back.

MF Dani Ceballos, 8 -- The in-form midfielder played a perfect ball through to Saka for Arsenal's only goal of the game and, generally speaking, produced a slick and concise performance in the middle of the park.

MF Granit Xhaka, 6 -- He's always a problem when he is able to command the midfield, but after being caught on the ball a few times, he needs to improve his communication with Ceballos.

FW Bukayo Saka, 8 -- He showed great feet and superb intelligence on the ball, with his assist for Aubameyang being nothing short of picturesque.

FW Alexandre Lacazette, 6 -- The Frenchman worked hard and even dropped deep to try to make things happen, but questionable finishing and inconsistencies in his delivery didn't help his cause.

FW Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, 7 -- It was a quiet day at the office for Auba, aside from the most important contribution of all: scoring Arsenal's opener after yet another example of his world-class positioning and composure.


DF Ainsley Maitland-Niles, N/R -- Helped to burn a few minutes in injury time as the hosts attempted to hold on to a point.

MF Joe Willock, 5 -- He went missing after being brought on, failing to make any kind of substantial impact.

MF Lucas Torreira, N/R -- He steadied the ship slightly but couldn't carry the midfield on his back against Leicester's late surge.

FW Eddie Nketiah, N/R -- It was the definition of a nightmare cameo for the youngster, as he was sent off for a dangerous challenge just minutes after coming onto the pitch.